Naruto: Card Captor
by Scarecrow'sMainFan
Summary: After stealing the Sacred Scroll, Naruto discovers the Book of Clow. Inadvertently unleashing the Clow Cards within, Naruto must now recapture the wayward spirits, lest they reap untold havoc upon his village, and possibly... the world.
1. Enter: Naruto and the Book of Clow

**AN: Hello everyone! I do apologize for being away for so long, but I've recently found my life dreadfully busy. I've recently started college, which has cut my free time (aka, writing time) down significantly. That said, I have been able to get into a good pattern where I can get a decent amount done. Expect some updates from me in the near future (not necessarily to this story mind you, I mean in general). **

**What can I say about this particular story...? This is... sort of an experiment for me, I suppose. I've had a lot of plot ideas (I think the proper term is 'plot bunnies' correct?) bouncing around in my head, and I wanted to at least put some of them down on paper (or, internet as it were), to see how the general public responded. I have always enjoyed Naruto (the manga and the anime). I will admit there were some dry spots (a year of little to no Naruto and an abundance of Sasuke), but I have always believed that the series is great. As for Card Captors, I actually watched the anime back when it was on Cartoon Network, years before I read the manga (if I had to pick, I'd say I like the anime better). Thinking of these two things which I enjoy very much, I (inevitably) thought to make a crossover. Checking the FF database for other Naruto/Card Captor crossovers did not yield the results I'd hoped for. Most of them are either about someone from the CC-verse coming to the Naru-verse to capture cards, or Naruto being sent there to...capture cards. None (that I've found) have NARUTO capturing the cards in HIS OWN universe. Clearly this was a travesty I simply had to fix (plus it meant my idea was original, more or less). Thus, 'Naruto: Card Captor' was born! **

**This first chapter is somewhat sort for me (only 6,161 words), but I attribute that to it being the first chapter of a new series. I do expect that, compared to my other stories (which may have as ten thousand words a chapter) these chapter will be rather sort by simple comparison. However, I don't think that that will hurt the content any. That said, if this goes well (and I have no reason to believe it won't) I do have quite a few chapters planned out (or at least, major events at certain points in the series). So, please, for your old buddy Scarecrow's sake, give it a chance. I promise you'll like it (probably). It's a good mix of action and comedy, and I feel all characters are in proper character.**

**Final Note: For anyone waiting on updates to my other stories, please check out my profile page for more info. The next chapter of my Soul Eater/Rosario Vampire Crossover is in the final editing phase, and should be up soon. My Naruto/Dante's Inferno story... is experiencing some writer's blockage. The next Deadliest Character and Deadliest Warrior; Season X should also be up soon.  
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**Now, without further delay (at least for those of you who take the time to read an author's comments), let's dive right into my next (hopefully great) work: **

**Naruto: Card Captor  
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**Chapter One: Enter: Naruto and the Book of Clow**

Naruto frowned at the object he had in his lap. It seemed like the fates were mocking him when they had presented said object to him, just because they enjoyed watching him suffer.

Now what was this object you ask? Well, first one must know how we got to this point: Naruto had failed his ninja test (what a shock!). Luckily for him, his favorite teacher Mizuki had offered him a make up test. All he had to do was break into the office of the Hokage and steal a certain scroll. Then, all he had to do was learn a single technique from said scroll. Easy right?

Well it was actually. He'd taken the scroll, brought it to the designated spot, and had started reading. Despite his hatred for the regular clone technique, Naruto had to admit; the shadow clone jutsu kicked ass. Now though, with time left on his hands, Naruto got to thinking. A dangerous thing in even the best of circumstances. If one technique got him promoted to genin… what would two get him?

Thus, with a vague thought in mind, Naruto had scanned the scroll for another cool technique to learn. Most of the stuff was way over his head though, or simply to gag nasty to attempt (seriously, whoever invented the 'Rectal Implosion' technique was a fucking psycho!). So, after many minutes of searching, our orange wearing protagonist was starting to lose hope. Then, it happened: he saw a seal with a small inscription under it. It said:

_"Ultimate power goes to whoever can master the power of the Clow. But take heed! Lest you bring a terrible calamity upon this earth…" _

Huh. Well… Naruto didn't even know what the words calamity, lest, or heed meant, but he did understand 'Ultimate Power'. Something like that would surely get him some bonus points. And if it was as cool as it said… maybe he could be promoted to Hokage right then!

So, with visions of the Hokage's hat dancing in his head, Naruto quickly undid the seal. It was a basic storage seal, and something even he knew who to use. In a burst of smoke, he had his prize.

It was a book.

Granted, it was a cool looking book; with a badass lion with wings on the cover, but it was still a book. Naruto had never really been fond of books. They tended to contain big words that made his head hurt, and were filled with boring information that he couldn't see being applied to the real world.

Still… the scroll had said that this book would lead to 'Ultimate power', so he'd at least give it a shot. Flipping it over, he saw the back was completely blank, giving no further clues as to what the book contained exactly. Noticing the clasp which held the book closed, Naruto made to unclip it. But as he did, he his ears picked up the sounds of footsteps in the distance. Figuring it was probably Mizuki come to administer the rest of the test Naruto shrugged, realizing he wouldn't be able to solve the books mysteries right now.

Just as he made to put the book down though, it started to glow. Then, in a puff of smoke, it was gone. Naruto blinked in confusion, before he felt some strange warmth around his hand. Looking down, he saw to his surprise a faint image on his palm. It was an exact match to the cover of the book. Somehow the book had sealed itself into a mark on his hand.

All thoughts on the self-sealing book were dismissed when Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder. The hand spun him around, causing Naruto to face a rather irate looking Iruka.

"NARUTO! What the HELL do you you think you're DOING!"

From there, thoughts on the mysterious book would take a backseat to events currently transpiring.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto sighed, falling backwards on his bed. Things had quickly escalated from the moment Iruka had found him. Turns out that breaking into the village leader's office to steal the most valuable object in said village was in fact, **not** an actual make up test. He had been tricked by one of the few people he had thought he could trust, Mizuki -sensei.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Mizuki had told him something that had rocked his world: The Fourth Hokage, his idol, hadn't killed the Kyuubi, but only sealed it. Not only that, but he had sealed into him! That was the reason everyone of the adults seemed to dislike him, they all saw him as the demon, and they were afraid.

Unsure what to do, he had fled, not knowing what to do. Eventually, he overheard Mizuki berating Iruka, who wondered why the scared teacher didn't hate him, given that the Kyuubi had killed his parents.

Then Iruka admitted he did hate the Kyubi, and for a moment, Naruto had felt his heart drop out of him. But that quickly stopped when Iruka proclaimed that Naruto was **not** the nine-tails, and that he thought of Naruto as a brother, not as a demon. Mizuki hadn't taken that statement too kindly, and was about to kill Iruka with one of his ridiculously large shuriken. Thankfully, he had been stopped by the orange wearing ninja, who had proceeded to summon an army of shadow clones, and then lay the smack down on Mizuki.

After that, Iruka had presented him with his own head band, saying that Naruto was now an official genin of Konoha!

In all the excitement, he had almost completely forgotten about the strange book sealed in his palm. But now that he had some quiet time to sit and go over everything, the book quickly came to the forefront of him mind. Sitting up, he looked at his palm while he channeled chakra to it. In a puff of smoke, the book was in his hands once more. Setting it down before him, he unclipped the book, opening it to see what it contained.

What he found was not at all what he was expecting. The inside of the book was nothing more then a slot, which was filled with what appeared to be a stack of cards. Popping said cards free from their bindings, Naruto looked the cards over. They were each decorated with an intricate image of an object or animal, but mostly they showed the image of a rather attractive woman. As Naruto spread the cards out before him, he took note that each one had a name. At least, he guessed it was their name. For at the bottom of each card was a label; the significance he didn't fully grasp just yet.

Looking at the card that had been at the top of the pile, and thus the first he'd seen, Naruto tried to figure out how these things were supposed to help him achieve his dream. The card didn't seem all that special, though even he would admit, it was very well drawn.

Wait! Maybe if he channeled chakra into it? So, channeling a bit of that oh so special 'Ninja-Energy' into it, Naruto waited for something to happen….

Sadly, it seemed like he was waiting in vain. Nothing at all had happened. Letting out a heavy sigh, Naruto got ready to throw the card back on the pile. "The Windy, huh? What a…"

Whatever words Naruto had hoped to use to finish that sentence died in his throat as the card began to glow gold. Then, just as the glow started to die down, it happened: A maelstrom sprung up out of nowhere in the middle of his room, blowing his things all over the place. Naruto found himself banged up against the headboard of his bed as the gale force winds pushed him back.

And as the winds blew, they picked up the other cards Naruto had left lying on his bed and spun them around and around. Then, like a chain reaction, each card began to glow just as the Windy had. But instead of activating, they shot off in a multitude of directions, phasing right through his ceiling and continuing to parts unknown. Luckily Naruto had kept a tight grip on the Windy card, or he might have lost it too.

Eventually, the winds died down, and Naruto collapsed forward onto his bed. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Naruto tried to piece together just what the hell had just happened. Pushing himself up, his eyes landed on the book which had held the cards. Just like the cards had, it too was glowing brightly. Naruto almost whimpered as he prepared for the worst.

The book rose into the air slowly, the lion on the cover facing Naruto. Then, the surface of the book shimmered like it was made of water. Then, from the book emerged… something. Naruto wasn't sure what it was exactly. Though, looking at it closely, it didn't look as threatening as he had first assumed it would. With a snap, its eyes popped open, and they immediately locked with his.

**"What's up" **the creature said, instantly killing the tense vibe in the room. Now that he wasn't worried he was going to struck down, Naruto got a good chance to examine the creature.

It was small, really small; about the size of your average plush toy. It had golden yellow fur, with a tuff of white on the end of its long tail. It had large ears, and two black eyes the size of pinpricks. On its back were two white wings, though it didn't appear to be flapping them to keep hovering.

**"My names Kerobos, but you can call me Kero. I am the sacred Guardian of the Seal"** he proclaimed proudly.

"Uhh… My name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto said, not sure what to say to the flying plush toy. He had a hard time believing this thing was the Guardian of anything.

_**"**_**Thanks for letting me out of there, man. I've been in there for ages." **Kero said, stretching his limbs.

"Yeah… what did you say you were the Guardian of again?" Naruto asked, wondering if this was all some sort of elaborate dream.

**"The Seal" **Kero said **"You know, the one on the Book of Clow" **he said as though it should be obvious. **"It's my job to protect the Clow Cards, and make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands" **he explained.

"Book of…Clow?" Naruto asked, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Clow Cards?"

Kero sighed, looks like this guy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. **"Yes, the Clow Cards" **he said, grabbing the book **"Tho ones right… here?"**he opened the book, planning on showing the kids the legendary cards, only to find; to his utter horror, nothing at all.

There was a pregnant pause before… **"AHHHHHH! Where did the Clow Cards go! **Kero'sscreamed looking at Naruto for an explanation.

Looking rightly embarrassed, Naruto scratched the back of his head, before presenting the Windy card to the irate plushy creature.

Snatching the card up, Kero looked it over intently, glad to see at least one of the cards safe. **"Okay, good, that's one. What about the others" **he asked expectantly.

"Umm… they kind of got… blown away" Naruto muttered quickly.

Kero just looked at him for a minute, before punching Naruto in the face. Now, despite his size, the little packed quite a punch; strong enough to send Naruto flying into the wall.

**"Do you have any idea what you've unleashed on your world!" **he roared. Naruto found himself suddenly very worried for his well being **"Those Clow Cards, when unsealed, will bring disaster upon the world wherever they go! It was the great sorcerer Clow Reed who created these cards long ago, in a bygone age. Upon his death, he sealed them away in the Book of Clow. Knowing he could trust no one else not to abuse the power of the cards." **he explained.

"But- But the book opened for me! It wasn't sealed at all!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to keep up with what was going on. If he had known those things were so powerful, he never would have unleashed them!

**"I know" **Kero said, crossing his arms over his chest, still holding onto the Windy. **"Which means the book must have sensed something in you Clow Reed would have liked. This can only mean one thing" **he said, dramatically.

"Wh-what?" Naruto asked, hating the stutter in his voice. He would not be intimidated by a freaking plush toy!

Kero cleared his throat, then said _**"Naruto Uzumaki! You have unleashed the Clow Cards from their slumber, and inflicted them upon the Earth! If you do not wish for catastrophe to befall your country, you must join me, and help me recapture the wayward Card Spirits. Do you accept this mission?" **_he asked with great seriousness.

Naruto hardly hesitated. While it certainly sounded like this would be difficult, he knew he had to do it. He had freed the Clow Cards, so it was his duty to reclaim them. Besides, what kind of future-kage would he be if let those things smash up his home?

So, giving his trademark grin, he nodded his head. "Your damn right I do. Don't worry, Naruto Uzumaki is on the case, Believe it!"

Kero internally winced; what a lame catchphrase. Shaking that off, he finished his speech _**"Then I Kerobos, hereby proclaim you Card Captor!" **_he declared. With a flash, something small floated between Naruto and Kero. It looked like a small key, which quickly floated towards Naruto, who instinctively raised his hand to touch it.

As he touched it, the 'Key' lengthened, turning into a full length staff. The head of the staff was shaped like a bird's head, with red gems for eyes and a beak and tiny wings on the back of the head. It might have been cool, but…

"It's pink" Naruto said, deadpanned. It was true, the whole staff did have a pink and white color pattern, which to Naruto, was pretty girly.

**"This is the Sealing Wand. With it, you'll be able to revert the Clow Cards back into their card forms, and give you a bit of control over them afterwards."**Keros explained, his voice one again its easy going tone.

"But it's Pink!" Naruto protested. Why couldn't it have been orange? Orange was badass, pink was… pink.

**"It's also the only tool you have to keep the Clow Cards from wrecking your village"**Keros said crossing his arms. Inside though, he had to admit he had always wondered why the Sealing Wand was pink. Green he could understand. Gold or purple would have been fine too. So why pink? It was like the wand was intended to be used by a prepubescent girl or something…

Naruto huffed "Fine" he grumbled. He could only hope nobody he knew saw him with this thing. Which made him think "Hey, shouldn't I tell the Old Man Hokage about this? He's the head of the village! With his help, surely we could-"

**"NO! Nononononononono!"**Keros shook his head violently in the negative. **"We can't let anyone know about the Clow Cards! If we did, the results could be more disastrous then ever!"**he told Naruto. Upon seeing the confused look he was getting, Keros felt he urge to smack his forehead. His new charge had better not be this dumb all the time **"Look, trust me on this kid. This is not the kind of thing you want everyone knowing about. If the wrong kind of people got their hands on this power…"**he trailed off, letting Naruto put it together himself.

Naruto gulped. If what Keros said was true (And he had no reason to doubt him so far), then these Clow Cards could do anything from burn down the village to sinking the country! No… it was probably for the best if only he and Keros knew. That way, no one could use the cards against his precious village, and all his precious people.

At that moment, Keros snapped his head up, his tiny eyes squinting. He turned to Naruto, his voice now deadly serious _**"**_**It's begun. The first Clow Card has manifested itself." **

Naruto leapt up, Sealing Wand clutched tightly in his hand. So soon? He had hoped for a little more time to gather his wits. Oh well, he'd just have to get over it. "Where it is?" he asked.

Keros pointed to the northwest. Naruto nodded; that was the direction of the forest where this whole mess had started. He quickly checked his equipment (which now included the Windy Card that Keros handed back to him), before tightening his new headband. Keros landed lightly on his shoulder, ready to guide Naruto to the first of many challenges. Using the window as an exit, Naruto hopped across the roofs. Looks like sleep would have to wait a little longer.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

It didn't take Naruto long to get to the spot Keros indicated. The whole way there, Naruto had been mentally preparing himself for what he thought might be waiting for him. And even then, he was still surprised.

It was a giant bird. A very large, pure white bird flew the middle of the clearing. Each wing was at least as wide as ten Narutos standing side by side.

_**"That's the Fly card" **_Keros told him, getting a nod in response.

"Why is it only hanging around here?" Naruto asked. If he could fly, he wouldn't be hanging around one spot waiting for someone to come and get him.

_**"I think it's just stretching its wings. It's been sealed for a long time. But that's a good thing in our case, because if this was a full strength, it'd be a lot harder to catch." **_Keros explained.

Naruto just nodded. Then, before Keros could say another word, he dashed off, bouncing off trees to get to the Fly's level. Bouncing off one last tree, he saw that he would land squarely on Fly's back. But it seemed Fly had spotted him, and with a flap of its wings, it raised itself higher into the air, and left Naruto floating in space.

Thinking quickly, Naruto summoned a shadow clone, and had it toss him up the rest of the way. He was just barely able to snag onto Fly's wing feathers, but he did it.

But Fly didn't seem to like the extra passenger. With a snap of its wings, Naruto was flung even higher into the air. From his vantage point, he was almost level with the top of Hokage Mountain so far away. And as gravity started to take effect (as it annoying tends to do), Naruto started to panic.

_**"Quick! Use the Windy!" **_Keros screamed in his ear. Naruto nodded quickly, fumbling around before finally drawing what he hopped would be his salvation. Keros quickly told him what to do and say; and without much dramatic flourish, he hit the card with the head of the Sealing Wand.

"Windy Card, come forth and help me!" Naruto cried out.

With a flash of light, the Card dissolved into yellow smoke, which quickly formed the body of a rather attractive young woman. It was difficult to make out any specific details about her features, given that her smoky substance kept getting disrupted by the wind that was rushing passed them as Naruto plummeted to a rather nasty end.

Thankfully Windy was quick on the uptake. With a flick of her hand Naruto felt a cushion of air under him, slowing his fall to the point that it was like he was floating.

"Oh thank you thank you!" Naruto said enthusiastically to Windy, who giggled slightly at his antics. That done, Naruto turned and faced Fly, who was was turned away from him and slowly flying away from the Village. He couldn't let that happen, so thinking quickly (something he'd honed from years of pranks), he turned to face Windy. After giving her a few quick instructions, he prepared himself.

With another wave of her hand, Windy sent a powerful blast of wind under Naruto's feet, propelling him like a missile towards Fly. Her job done, she quickly flew towards her new Master.

As they neared Fly at breakneck speed, Keros took the time to tell Naruto something important: Only the Sealing Wand would work on the Clow Cards. His traditional kunai and shuriken just weren't going to cut it with the mystical spirits. Naruto was thankful though. This saved him from wasting valuable time and weapons trying to damage the bird.

Though it was after that that Naruto realized a small problem in his plan. He was going pretty fast towards Fly, and now that he thought about it, he didn't have any way to slow down, which meant-

WHAM!

A cry echoed through the forest, as Naruto's body slammed straight into Fly's back. Normal weapons may not hurt it, but Fly had certainly felt that. Turning it's long neck, it saw the boy had managed to get onto it after all. Glancing up, he saw Windy flying towards him. This might be harder then it thought. Time for evasive action.

Naruto hadn't been in this much pain in a long time. Perhaps firing himself like a cannonball into the magic spirit's back **Hadn't **been a good idea. Groaning, he was at least glad he had managed to get on the thing. Shrugging it off, Naruto managed to roll over and wrap his arms around Fly's neck. Not a moment too soon either. For right after he did, Fly picked up speed and began to do loops in the sky. Naruto felt his body ache as the wind fought to tear him from the spirit and hurl him into space. It wasn't until Fly started to do barrel rolls over the tops of the trees that he realized Keros was in his hair screaming at him to do something. But he wasn't sure what he could do! If only he… Duh!

Glancing to his right, Naruto was hardly surprised to see Windy flying nearby. She was looking right at him expectantly; as thought to say 'Hello! Powerful Magical Spirit over here! Use Me!'

"Windy! Help me bring Fly down!" he called. Windy nodded in acknowledgment, before zipping closer to Fly. She sent tendrils of wind to bind the bird, only for Fly to speed up and avoid them. Clearly, the feathered fiend was going to have to be slowed down.

Bracing himself, Naruto managed to form the proper hand-seal while clinging for his life. In a puff of smoke that was quickly blown away by the wind, forty Narutos had appeared on Fly's back. There had been a few more, but there wasn't enough space on the Fly's back, that, plus the high wind speeds, resulted in a few of the unfortunate Naruto's appearing only to find themselves falling through space. Ouch. Sucks to be those guys.

The important thing though, was that with the combined weight of forty-one Narutos weighing it down, Fly was straining to keep up its pace. It still hadn't recovered all of its energy, and it was quickly being used up just dealing with this kid! Seeing Windy making another pass, Fly realized that the jig was up.

Yellow ropes of wind energy began to ensnare the exhausted Fly, pulling it downward towards the earth. One by one, the Naruto clones popped away as they neared solid ground, something both Naruto and Keros were happy to see.

Resisting the urge to kiss the ground in thanks, Naruto turned to face the bound Fly. Turning to Keros he asked "So… just how do I seal it anyway?"

Keros just shook his head _**"**_**Just repeat these words exactly"** he quickly explained what Naruto needed to do. Naruto nodded, a sense of excitement rising in his chest as he faced the first card he had actually managed to defeat.

"I am the Card Captor, and I order you to return to your true form!" he cried, raising his Wand and brining it down like a hammer on the air crying "Fly Card!"

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Deep inside Naruto, a pair of red eyes gleamed. **"So, Clow Reed's magic roams free does it?" **it chuckled at the predicament its container had found himself in. **"How… entertaining. After all these years, finally things are looking up." **it pondered to itself, having no one to talk to since its container had yet to contact it. **"Hmm… perhaps a slight modification… yes, that would do quite nicely" **it chuckled as it channel a small portion beyond the seal to the magic surrounding the boy's wand. It wasn't much, after all he didn't want his demonic energy mixing with Clow's magic to much. That could be… very bad for all involved (which wouldn't be so bad if that didn't include him). Its job done, the massive demon lay back down, watching and waiting as it had done for the last twelve years, hoping something interesting would finally happen.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

From the point where Naruto's wand struck, gold energy formed the shape of a card similar to the one Windy had taken. Fly began to glow gold as wisps of magic flowed from it towards the outline. It was slow at first, then rapidly. The more energy was taken, the more Fly became insubstantial. The more Fly faded, the more details became clear on the card.

However, the Fly wasn't the only thing changing. The Sealing Wand Naruto held tight in his grip began to get warm. Looking down at it, he saw red energy flow upwards from under his shirt to touch the base of the Wand. From there, it spread upwards, changing the Wand as it went. Where once there was pink, suddenly was crimson red (which despite not being orange, was still a vast improvement in the young genin's eyes). The white trim stayed the same, which was fine; but the biggest change came towards the top of the staff.

Under the head of the staff, two small black squares appeared, though Naruto couldn't fathom their purpose. The bird head was engulfed by the red chakra, changing its form to something… else. When the red light died down, Naruto gasped. Where once was a bird, now was the head of the Kyubi! It's fangs bared, Naruto saw it's tiny ruby eyes glow faintly in the light.

He wasn't sure how to feel about this. On the one hand, it did make the Sealing Wand even more badass. On the other, people who saw it weren't likely to take to kindly to seeing the Kyubi's visage so prominently. He really wasn't sure what he could or should do. In the end, he guessed he'd just have to wing it.

Naruto was so caught up in these thoughts that he almost missed the end of the sealing. With a final flash, Fly's form; which had become all but invisible anyway, vanished into thin air. At that exact moment, the Card completed itself, and drifted on an unfelt breeze towards Naruto's awaiting hand. Looking down at it, Naruto saw Fly, its wings caught in mid-flap, and felt as thought the card was looking back up at him. Heck, he wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Turning, he was surprised to see Windy, her form only visible from the waist up, gliding toward him. When she got closer, Naruto felt a little uncomfortable with how closely she was examining him. Deciding to break the silence, he said "Thank you for your help. I don't think I could've done it without you".

Windy just looked at him, her head tilted curiously. Then, she broke into a kind smile _"Your are welcome Naruto-sama." _she said simply, bowing to him as she started to fade away _"Feel free to call on me anytime." _and just before she completely disappeared, Naruto was sure he heard her mutter _"you're much better looking them my last master" _though perhaps he was simply hearing things from being overwhelmed by all that had happened tonight.

Catching Windy's card as it reappeared before him, Naruto turned to Keros, who nodded in approval. Keros had to admit, Naruto may not be such a loser after all. His first instinct when confronted with Fly hadn't been to immediately use Windy. Instead, he'd tried to bring down the large bird with his own hands. Stupid in hindsight, but it was refreshing to see someone try without instantly deciding that magic was the only option. Master Clow Reed would have approved.

As he and Naruto made their way back to the kids place, he sighed heavily. Still… as of now they only had two Clow Cards. There were still so many out there, doing Kami knows what. He really hoped Naruto was able to catch them all quickly, because if not… they were in for quite the journey. And not just the two of them. The odds were good that the kids village, and perhaps the whole world; would never be the same again…

**End of Chapter 1**

**So there you have it! What did you think? I will admit that the begining (at least the part before he opens the book) feels somewhat rushed, but that's only because everyone and their grandmother know what happens in that part. Admit it, you could practically recite it in your sleep! So why waste time on that when we can get to the better, more origanl parts?**

**If Naruto seems kind of.. dumb, then it's because this is pre-timeskip, pre-ninja life, pre-anything major Naruto. And, let's be honest with ourselves Naruto fans, Naruto has always been just a little... stupid. He's great when he flies by the seat of his pants, but outside that, he's a bit dull. Don't worry, he'll grow and learn as he faces more and more trials. Keros will help where he can, but somethings can only be learned by oneself. **

**A major piece of inspiration for me, and something I highly recommend reading, is Shadow Crystal Mage's story: Card Captor Harry. It's a fantasitc CC/Hary Potter crossover. It takes place in Harry's third year, with him trying to capture the cards (other stuff happens too, but you should really read it to find out). It has two sequals, one which takes place the next year, and one which takes place the summer in between. Like most sequals, they're... so-so. But the first one is really good.**

**You know, looking over it, the battle with Fly reminds me a lot of a battle from Shadow of the Colossus. Huh. Not every battle with the Clow Cards will be like this one (i.e following pretty close to what happened in the Manga / Anime). They also will not be in the same order. That said, I won't give you a big teaser for the next chapter; instead I'll only give you the title (which should be enough to let you get a basic idea of what'll happen). I really hoped you all like this chapter, and if you did, PLEASE tell me so. Click on that lovely Review button, and tell me what you thought. **

**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 2 - Konohamaru and the Rainy Day_

Until Next Time... _  
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	2. Konohamaru and the Rainy Day

**Hello everyone, how are all of you today? I hope this chapter finds you well. Sorry for delays, but hey, school and real life demand attention too (my fellow authors know what I'm talking about). You all seemed to like my last chapter well enough, which just fills me with good cheer! I hope everyone had a great Halloween (mine could have been better, but there's always next year!). Before we get into anything else, let's quickly answer the comments I got:  
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**Baron von Nobody: Thank you, I have high hopes for this fic. And don't worry, I have no intention of using the episodes to dictate these chapters. And I do like your idea, you should run with it. I'm interested in seeing what you come up with.**

**Mark of Cain: Glad you like it. I do have a plan for what happens when you mix Clow Magic and Kyubi power, but that's not for a way's off. Most likely during the Wave saga.**

**KitsuNamikaze: Thank you, glad you liked it.**

**SagaAuraMana: I know right! You'd think, with all the ways people try and give Naruto as many powers as possible, this would have been a natural choice! Oh well, that just makes it easier for me to corner the market (because right now, I am the market on this idea!).**

**Kreg001: Glad you liked it. As for pairings… I don't know, it's only the second chapter. Maybe? I can't really say that would be the focus of this story anyway.**

**Wolfpackersson09: Glad you liked it. I don't know if I'll have someone be his Tomoyo. The clothing issue will certainly be addressed (as we all knew it had to be), but I may not have a character to fill that roll. I'm hesitant to make an OC this early (unless we count Clow Card personalities) in the fic.**

**To all the unregistered reviewers (because some of you left more then one message): I'm glad you like the story. I hope this chapter matches and exceeds your expectations.**

**There. Now, I'd like to say something about this chapter, to put it in a bit of context: I know the chapter is called 'Konohamaru and the Rainy Day', however, that does not mean that Konohamaru will be playing an especially large part in it. It's really more to provide context as to WHEN the events are happening. Now, don't get me wrong, he's in it, and he even get's his own introspective section, but he won't be an integral part of capturing today's card. Just in case any of you were major Konohamaru fans out there, hoping this would be his big shot. 'Cause it's not. **

**Now, enough chit chat, I'll see you all after the chapter with more ANs at the bottom. Until then, enjoy this new chapter of Naruto: Card Captor. Today's adventure: **

**Naruto: Card Captor  
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**Chapter Two: Konohamaru and the Rainy Day! **

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The sun was shining brightly down on all the peaceful inhabitants of the Leaf Village. It's warm light penetrating even the darkest shadows, and warming the air to a balmy comfortable temperature.

She hated all of it. To her, the light was too bright, and hurt her eyes, making her already watery stormy blue eyes fill with unshed tears. Why couldn't it be a just a bit darker, even just a bit of cloud cover would be appreciated. She wished Cloud was here, she'd make that dreadful ball of gas go away.

She snorted rather unlady like as she kept floating through back alleys to avoid that light. All of this was only serving to remind her that she still hadn't gotten back to full strength yet. If she had more power, she would block out the sun with her rainclouds. As it was, she only had enough to make it rain a tad (not nearly enough to block out that bright disk), and form herself a little cloud to float around on, so at least she didn't have to walk. She was a free spirit, and missed being able to soar through the skies. Being stuck on the ground without her full power was what had put her in suck a foul mood in the first place.

Making her way to the edge of the village, she couldn't help but wonder why everyone seemed so… happy! She smirked, perhaps a little prank was in order? She loved her pranks, even though some of her sisters claimed it was rude to pull them on people who didn't deserve it. Well, none of them were here now, were they?

Casting a glance about, she tried to find the perfect target. It wasn't long before she spotted one: a tall lean man, wearing a black shirt and pants, with a black bandana around his head. His eyes were covered by a set of solid black spectacles. With one hand he was pushing the glasses up to keep them from sliding down his nose. With the other, he was dragging a furiously protesting boy by the child's ridiculously long scarf. Sneaking closer, she managed to hear what they were arguing about.

"Oh come on Ebisu-sensei, we've been working for hours and I just wanted to get some lunch!" the boy said.

The man, now identified as Ebisu snorted "That is no excuse to skip out on your training to eat at some five-and-dime slop shack!" he said, sticking his nose up in the air as he cast a glance back at the establishment Konohamaru had tried to eat at.

"Training? You've spent the passed five hours lecturing me about my family's personal history! And it's just a Ramen shop! Why is that so bad!" the boy shouted back.

"History is an essential subject young master. And you are the honorable grandson of Lord Hokage! It is beneath you to eat at such a low class establishment." Ebisu rebuked.

Rain (for that was the mysterious girl's name) could already tell she didn't like this Ebisu character one bit! He was so stuck up, snooty, and… and… she couldn't even think up another word, but she was sure it wouldn't have been nice!

So, sneaking closer to the ninja (being a mystical entity with no chakra for him to sense was actually very handy), she drew on her reserve of power for a little prank. She may not be able to blanket the city in a monsoon like downpour, but this would be just fine. With a snap of her fingers, she sent a wave of energy just above the jerk's head. A small cloud formed, filled to the brim with water. A second later, it burst, sending far more water pouring down on the man's head then the cloud should have been feasibly able to hold.

Konohamaru was so annoyed at his sensei. All he had wanted to do was go eat at a normal restaurant like a normal person. Why did Ebisu-sensei insist on treating him like he was some brittle object, never meant to interact with the rest of the village? Not that it mattered. More then likely the people who owned the restaurant would have recognized him for who he was immediately. Then they would have gone on and on about his grandpa, and how wonderful he was. He would have made their day, and they would completely fail to see him as an individual, which was what he desperately wanted. He loved his grandpa too, but geez! Why did no one ever wonder what was up with him? How was he doing? What had HE accomplished lately? Yes it sounded selfish, but give him a break, he was only nine!

Suddenly, Konohamaru was shaken from his thoughts by the startled cry of his sensei, who'd let go of him in surprise. Turning, Kono was shocked to see what looked like a mini raincloud dousing his sensei with a waterfall of water! Ebisu scrambled to the left and right, but the cloud followed him! Ebisu slipped on a puddle which had formed beneath his feet, sending him falling face first to the ground.

Kono didn't try to hard to keep himself from laughing at his sensei's misfortune, nor did most people who were in the street (though there weren't many). But the one laugh that drew his attention made him look towards an alley slightly behind him. There he saw a girl a little older then him, wearing a strange hat, who quickly ducked out of sight as their eyes met.

Turning back to his sensei, who was still floundering around to escape the persistent little cloud, he shrugged. Whoever that girl was, she had to be more fun then listening to Ebisu talk.

And with that thought, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him to find the strange girl that had made his afternoon.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Rain frowned, man that kid was persistent. It'd been almost five minutes and he was still chasing her! She was SO not in a talkative mood right now, why couldn't that kid get it? Smirking, Rain figured a good way to lose the kid, and started picking up speed.

Konohamaru heaved a sigh as the strange girl actually seemed to get faster. That, plus what she did to Ebisu-sensei, she must mean she was a ninja! And if he could get her to teach him her tricks, maybe he could defeat his grandfather that much sooner! That thought strengthened his resolve, and he pushed his little body that much harder to keep up.

Thinking about having her as his sensei instead of Ebisu-sensei made Konohamaru pay more attention to her. He nearly fell over when he realized that the girl hadn't been running, but instead **floating** two feet off the ground! (How had he not noticed that! Observation was supposed to be a key skill for a ninja!) That was so awesome! He had to get her to teach him that trick! Her outfit though… was a little strange. She wore what looked like an oversized jester's hat, with the points nearly coming down to her knees! She had puffy pants, as well as a puffy shirt, and curly toed boots, adding to the jester like theme. On her forehead (Which he saw when she looked over her shoulder to glance back at him) was a large blue tear shaped jewel. Her costume was actually covered in small teardrop shaped trinkets. Strangely, even her ears were pointed. This girl may look strange, but if he could get her to teach him, she could be wearing a hideous bright orange jumpsuit for all he cared! (somewhere, Naruto sneezed).

Suddenly, the girl jumped around the corner, and he pushed himself to follow. But once he rounded the corner, he saw… nothing. Looking around he saw that he was indeed alone. The whole place was quiet, with not a single other person around. Looking up (just in case) he saw only a lone low-hanging cloud in the sky.

Sighing, he realized that the girl was gone, probably having used her ninja-skills to teleport somewhere. Straightening, Konohamaru made a promise to himself. He would not give up! He would find the weird jester-girl, and make her his sensei; or his name wasn't Konohamaru, future Hokage!

Rain was surprised the boy had managed to follow her all the way out here with that ridiculously long scarf of his. His brown hair was sticking up in tuffs, and she saw his black eyes flicker around searching for her. One would think that being up on a cloud would make it hard to see what was going on below. They would be wrong. In fact, Rain had excellent vision, and could easily see the emotions flickering across the boys face as he searched for her. From what she could tell, he wasn't mad at her for what she'd done to his sensei, which might have been her first guess. Instead, she thought what she might be seeing was… admiration? That was weird, and not something she was used to seeing directed at her. The kid didn't even know her, what could she have done to earn that kind of look?

Rain was suddenly broken out of her thoughts as she heard a commotion below. Shaking her head, she refocused her attention on the ground. It looked like the kids sensei was back, and he looked peeved that his pupil had run off. His frustration only grew when Konohamaru said he'd been looking for her, and didn't want to go back with Ebisu.

Then, coming full circle, Ebisu grabbed the kid by his collar and hauled him away, saying they were already late for a meeting with the Hokage. Rain supposed that she could have left it there, but something drew her in. She wanted to know why this kid searched for her, even after it should have been clear he wouldn't find her.

With that thought in mind, Rain relaxed on her small cloud as it made its way after the pair, hoping that this would alleviate her boredom until she was back at 100%.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_  
><strong>Earlier….<strong>

Naruto yawned and tried to roll over, pulling the covers over his head as he did. Alas, this desperate attempt to avoid the rays of the sun did nothing to stop the inevitable awakening. He sighed and threw back his covers and sat up. This act also had the effect of tossing the still sleeping Keros across the room (something he was quick to voice his displeasure about). The Old Man had told him that all graduates were given a long weekend to celebrate before they officially started their Ninja duties. As a result he had slept in just a little. He really only had one thing to do today; and that was to meet the photographer to get the picture for his Ninja license taken. That wouldn't be for another couple of hours though, so he still had time. Walking over to his closet, he prepared to get out his jumpsuit for the day.

Keros rubbed his tiny eyes, annoyed at the rude awakening. He supposed he couldn't get to mad at the brat, he'd almost forgotten where he was for a second as he'd woken up. He was so used to sleeping in the Book of Clow that being on an actual bed was foreign to him at this point. Oh well, he was just happy to be out and about after so many years. Looking over at his charge, he started thinking of how they might train today. Under normal circumstances, he'd just laze around all day. But with the Clow Cards running about, Naruto would need to be trained to more readily handle some of the more… eccentric (and often crazy violent) spirits.

But thoughts of training left his mind when he saw Naruto reach into his closet and take out… **IT.**

How on earth such an abomination against man and God could exist on this earth, he had no idea. In the dark of the night, he hadn't really gotten a good look at it at first. But after seeing it in the light, Keros couldn't believe anyone would chose to actively wear such an outfit.

He had to do something.

Naruto had already put on his black shirt and was reaching for a his orange jacket, when a gust of wind blew past him. Suddenly, the jacket was yanked from his hand and Naruto fell backwards to see Keros in the corner, standing in front of his jacket.

Naruto frowned "What gives! Give me back my jacket!" he said.

Keros shook his head **"No way! It's bad enough you're wearing orange pants, but I cannot, in good conscience, let you wear the jacket too!"**

Naruto huffed, why were people always picking on his orange jumpsuit? Didn't they know how awesome orange was? "And why not?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Keros rubbed his forehead **"Look…"** he started, trying to come up with something the kid would accept "**you're the Card Captor now! That's a very illustrious position. And you should wear cloths that befit such a rank."** he told the kid. In reality, he was just making it up, but he had to say something! **"Also, since you're a ninja for your village now, don't you think you should try and wear something more… "** he new he had to pick his next words carefully here "badass?" he asked, his question peaking Naruto's interest. He did want to look badass…

Keros could see by the look in the kid's eye that he had him **"I'm not saying orange isn't a rocking color or anything"** he told the kid **"but you could do so much better then this!"** he said gesturing to the jacket.

Naruto scratched his cheek "Like what?" he asked. Keros seemed to know what he was talking about, and he had a point. Becoming a ninja was supposed to be a great turning point in a person's life. Shouldn't he embrace that by updating his wardrobe? He had been wearing the same style of neon-orange jumpsuits for many years now…

Keros grinned, a victory dance happening in his head. Outside though, he kept a calm face **"you just let me take care of that, I'll think of something that'll work. Heck, maybe we can check out some stores later today"** he suggested. While he personally didn't care for shopping, he'd do just about anything to keep this eyesore out of public view. His ego demanded that the kid look at least as awesome as he did, and to do that, a decidedly NOT orange set of cloths would be required.

Now to distract the kid, so he didn't have time to regret his decision **"Now though, it's time for training!"** he announced, flying over and landing on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto brightened considerably upon hearing the words 'training'. "Sweet! What are we training?" he asked.

Keros crossed his arms smugly **"You don't know enough about the Clow Cards and how to use them. You did fine yesterday, but I think we need to do some real practicing. Especially since you just got Fly"** he explained.

Naruto nodded, and together, left for the most secluded training ground they could find.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Not too long after that, Naruto entered his favorite training spot. It was onto of the Fourth Hokage's head, overlooking the greatness that was the Hidden Leaf Village.

**"Wow, that's some view kid"** Keros commented taking in the sight of his charges home.

"Yeah" Naruto nodded, his heart full of warm thoughts for his home. Turning back to Keros though he tried to focus "So Keros, what're we doing?" he asked, eager to get started.

Keros grinned, glad to see Naruto really paying attention. Settling himself in what he liked to call his 'lecture stance' he proceeded to lay down the basic ground rules of the Clow Cards:

1) The Clow Cards were magical in nature, and could only be physically harmed by the Sealing Wand, or other magic.

2) Until he sealed them, the Clow Spirits were under no obligation to listen to him. At all. His status as the Card Captor didn't mean anything to them. Yet.

3) Once he had sealed them, that Clow Spirit would have to obey him and his every command. They were free to offer insight and criticism, but ultimately, the final word lay with him.

Naruto gulped a bit at that one. In his mind, that was a lot like being Hokage. All the Spirits would be looking to him for their instructions, so he would have to learn to work with them all if he wanted to be a good leader. And while he could easily rule over the cards with little regard for their personal beliefs and welfare, that thought didn't sit well with him and his belief in what a leader should be. He would treat each of his Clow Cards with the respect he thought they deserved. After all, they were risking themselves just as much as he was (probably more so).

Rule 4) Naruto could not give the Clow Cards away.

Rule 5) He could not tell anyone of his mission; dire, life ending emergencies not withstanding.

Then Keros explained something about the practical usage:

Naruto could, in fact, use more then one Clow Card at a time. However! Each additional card he summoned would subtract the strength from all the cards as a whole. Seeing Naruto's blank look (poor guy was terrible at math), Keros gave a simple example:

If Naruto summoned Windy, she would have 100% of her power.

If Naruto then summoned Fly though, both Fly and Windy would both drop to only having 50% of their power available. The power drop would increase with each additional card summoned. That was why Keros warned him about summoning more then one spirit.

After the boring lecture, Keros decided it was time for some practical application. When Naruto asked what he should do, Keros simply shrugged, replying:

**"Hey, you're the Card Captor here kid. Do whatever you want."**

Naruto nodded, and reached into his pocket. Taking out the small, fox-headed key, Naruto closed his eyes and focused. He felt magic erupt around the key as it lengthened, the eyes of the Kyubi thrumming with power as it gazed outwards. Looking down, he once again felt a bit uneasy looking at the monster that was supposed to be sealed inside of him. He still didn't know what the black buttons were for; nor did Keros. It was some alteration to the staff he knew nothing about. They would just have to wait and see…

Shaking his head, he reached in his other pocket, and pulled out the first card he grabbed. It was the Fly card. Naruto smirked, looking up at the sky. It did look like a great day for it….

Need no further prompting then that, Naruto raised his staff high and slammed it down with a call of "Fly Card, Come forth!" the air was filled with a bright flash of light, and a moment later, Naruto watched, transfixed as white and gold tendrils of magic flowed towards his back.

Naruto felt a relaxing warmth flow through the back of his shoulders, which filled him with a sense of weightlessness. He almost felt like he was floating!

As the light died down, Naruto saw, to his amazement, that that was EXACTLY what he was doing! Looking over his shoulder, he gaped at the sight: Two large, white, feathery wings sprouted from bis back! The wings stretched and moved (somehow going straight through his shirt without tearing it. Oh well, that's magic for you) naturally, as they might on an actual bird!

Keros scratched his chin, impressed **"Not a bad set of wings kid. I half expected Fly to put the wings on the Sealing Wand."** he said.

Naruto blinked, looking down at Keros "How would that help me?" he asked.

Keros chuckled **"Well… you could always ride the Wand like a magic broom?"** he suggested cheekily.

Naruto rolled his eyes, deciding that he should get back to having fun. With a flap, he rose high into the sky, his movements far more graceful then they had ever been on the ground. He twisted and twirled, he did loop-d-loops and barrel rolls. For what seemed like eternity he soared over the village of the leaves at such a hight, that any who might have looked up would see nothing out of the ordinary. (Well actually, they might notice a small cloud that was strangely moving _against_ the natural flow of the wind…)

Gazing down, Naruto found he had a true 'bird's eye view' of his village. The buildings looked like blocks, and the people only specks. Each had their own life, their own story… This was his home. **His** village. As a genin, he was sworn to protect this place with his life. And he would happily do so for those few precious people who cared about him. He hoped that one day… the rest of the villagers would come to love and respect him as much as the Old Man, Iruka-sensei, and the folks down at Ichiraku seemed to. And with the help of Keros and the Clow Cards, he'd make sure that nobody messed with his town. EVER! Believe it!

Keros watched with a small smile as Naruto almost seemed to dance across the sky with his new wings. He could sense the strength of the kids convictions. There was no doubt in his mind that Naruto definitely had what it took to master the Clow Cards, just like his old friend Clow Reed had done so long ago. He was certain he and Naruto would have gotten along just fine (despite the later's somewhat…. lacking intelligence).

He laughed to himself. If old Clow Reed could see the legacy of his creation now… Keros had was sure he would be proud. It was a long road, but Naruto would march down the path ahead of him with his head held high, no matter what the Clow Cards threw at him!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Finally, after a great many hours of simply flying about (seriously, Naruto had some amazing stamina!) Keros managed to talk Naruto down. He reminded him that he did have other things to do today, which brought a look of horror to Naruto's face as he realized the time, and noticed that he was almost late for his appointment with the photographer!

The two had to go straight there (Keros burying himself in the spiky mess that was Naruto's hair), with no time to stop by Naruto's apartment. Naruto told Keros that he had hoped to paint his face for the picture, in an attempt to make himself look awesomer (which Naruto assured him was a word). After hearing the kid's explanation of what he had intended to draw on his face Keros couldn't say it was a big loss. Seriously, it sounded like Naruto was describing a clown get up!

After getting their picture (well, only Naruto's. Keros had made sure to stay out of sight at all times!), Naruto figured he'd check up on the Old Man and see how he was doing. That was what lead to them being there right now. Just Naruto and the aged village leader, chatting up a storm like two of the best buddies in the world. Keros had to admit he was surprised by the ease with which they spoke to each other. Also… he got the odd feeling that the old man was somehow… aware of him? But that was impossible… right?

Sarutobi laughed heartily as he and Naruto willed away the afternoon on mindless chatter. He was glad to see the boy in such high spirits, considering the likely life-altering news he had received from the traitor Mizuki.

Still… something was off. It wasn't that Naruto wasn't wearing his customary orange jacket (when asked, Naruto had admitted that he'd decided to update his wardrobe). No, that was something to be relieved about. He had been wondering himself how best to convince the boy to wear something more… ninja appropriate.

Casting a glance outside, he noted that the once clear day was becoming very cloudy. Turning back to Naruto, he rolled over in his head what was really bothering him. It seemed like their was another presence in the room. It wasn't the ANBU guards stationed in the corners, and it wasn't his or Naruto's. It didn't feel malevolent, so he knew it wasn't the Kyubi. This feeling seemed to be very small, and very adapt at hiding itself. It seemed as though it was in Naruto's own hair, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see anything. Surely his old age wasn't playing tricks on him?

Suddenly, the lovely chat ended when the door to the Hokage's office opened, revealing a rather short kid wearing a rather long scarf. Said kid proudly proclaimed his desire to defeat the Hokage and take his title, and charged him. The brat made it all of three steps before he tripped over his own feet and crashed into the ground.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Rain sighed; she was starting to get bored. She had lost sight of the kid when he'd walked into what seemed to be the tallest building in this village. Granted, that had only been about a minute ago, but to her it felt far to long.

Reaching down, she picked another handful of cloud-matter off her transport, rolling it in her hands absently. She wasn't sure why she had felt drawn to the kid until recently, and she was still pondering it. At first, you would think the kid had no reason to be unhappy. Everywhere he went, it looked like people smiled and waved. Everyone seemed to know him, and were happy to see him. But still, he wasn't happy.

That was when it hit her. The boy was living in a shadow. And while it seemed that these good intentioned villagers were greeting the boy, odds were good they new little to nothing about him at all. And in a strange way… she could relate.

It wasn't until after her creator/master/father-figure became famous. Clow Reed was a great man, who loved to help people. Using the magic of the Clow Cards he kept people safe by averting many a disaster. Soon he, and by proxy the Clow Cards were famous. Many people could name at least one of the Card Spirits. Most knew the elements spirits like Windy or Earthy. Some would recall others like Thunder or Shadow. But when it came to spirits like her, or Cloud or Storm? People could never really tell them apart. Heck, some people thought they were all the same spirit!

A small part of her was always hurt whenever she was mistaken for one of her sisters. It felt like… like her accomplishments… somehow meant less. That was why she felt drawn to the kid. He felt overshadowed by someone, and hadn't yet figured out a way to make himself known in the world.

Frowning, Rain hurled the cloud ball over her shoulder into the distance, only paying half a mind to the fact that it was growing and darkening as it went. Sitting up, she popped her back as she raised her cloud a little higher. All this thinking was making her head hurt, not to mention bumming her out.

Rain's face suddenly split into a frightening grin. Well, she had something for that. Glancing around her, Rain's smile only grew at what she saw. All this time she'd been following that kid, she'd been spreading her rainclouds, and letting them grow slowly. Now though, she could feel her powers were nearing their peak. Which meant that it would soon be time to start the fireworks… or perhaps more accurately: the Waterworks! (She didn't care what Cloud or Storm said, her puns were funny Dammit!)

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Konohamaru was not having a nice afternoon. After Ebisu-sensei had unceremoniously dragged him away from his search for the mystery girl, he had been taken through the streets, where many people were happy to greet him. The only problem? No one had called out to him by his NAME!

'Oh look at the honorable grandson!'

'there goes the honorable grandson…'

'good afternoon most honorable grandson'

Why? Why did no one ever say his actual name! He was named after this village, there was no way they could have forgotten his name! Yet no matter what, the people always, **always**, called him by the title 'honorable grandson'. It was enough to make him scream!

Deciding he could use a little pick me up, he decided to do the one thing that always made him feel better: attempt to assault his grandfather in an attempt to steal his position. Granted, that hadn't worked so far, but he had a special feeling about to day!

So, stealthily slipping away from Ebisu-sensei (which wasn't nearly as hard as it should be for someone who claimed to be an elite ninja) and made his way to his grandfather's office. Preparing a single shuriken, he took a deep breath, flung open the door … and charged!

He didn't get very far before **something** tripped him up and made him fall flat on his face. Great. Quickly sitting up and rubbing his forehead he looked up at the two in the room. There was the old man, sighing and pulling his hat down, looking like he was trying hard not to chuckle.

The other was a kid not much older then him. He was wearing orange pants and a black t-shirt. He wasn't trying nearly as hard as his grandpa, and was laughing to himself, all while looking at Konohamaru with a look that said 'is this kid for real?'

Konohamaru's cheeks flushed as his ego burned, silently cursing whatever had made him trip. "Who set that trap that tripped me!" he yelled hopping to his feet.

At that moment Ebisu-sensei finally caught up with him, having heard his shout. "Young master are you alright?" he asked in mild concern "Also…" he awkwardly pushed his glasses up his nose "the floor is completely flat, there are no traps here" he said. Noticing the Hokage, he gave a quick bow. Seeing Naruto, he did nothing, but both Naruto and Keros felt the glare leveled at the Kyubi-container.

Konohamaru didn't care what Ebisu-sensei said. This was just one more annoyance in a long annoying day! He wanted someone to blame! Glaring he pointed at the other boy accusingly "It was you wasn't it! You're the one who tripped me up!"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. How dare that little brat accuse him for his own stupid mistakes! Quick as a flash, Naruto had grabbed the boy by his oversized scarf and lifted him off the ground, ready to pound some sense into the boy.

Keros, while equally annoyed, felt something that made his eyes go wide. He realized they had no time to mess around with this kid; he sensed a Clow Card!

Ebisu sputtered at the audacity of the Kyubi-brat to manhandle the Hokage's grandson. Was the brat stupid or suicidal? Growling, he called the kid out "Naruto! Release him at once! That is the grandson of the honorable Third Hokage!" he yelled.

Said kage merely sat back in his chair, taking another puff on his pipe.

Naruto blinked at Ebisu, before looking back at Konohamaru. Konohamaru was a little relieved knowing that this guy wouldn't hurt him right in front of his target's own grandfather…. That train of thought ended the moment Naruto punched him over the head.

"I don't care if he's your grandmother!" Naruto shouted indigently. The nerve of this kid, first accusing him, then trying to use his relation to the Kage to get out of trouble! Nodding one last time to the old Kage, Naruto walked out of the office.

Ebisu gasped and gibbered, unable to put his thoughts into words. The Third Hokage coughed into his fist, trying to hide the laughter threatening to escape. He ideally noted that Konohamaru had followed the new genin, and without Ebisu noticing.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

After a quick goodbye, Naruto made his way out of the Hokage's tower. He was shocked to find it raining, when hours earlier, not a cloud had been in the sky.

**"So she's already started"** Keros said standing next to his charge's ear, surprising Naruto. For such an apparent loud mouth, Keros could be very sneaky. But then the plushy's words caught up with him.

"What, you're saying a Clow Card is making it rain?" Naruto asked, looking left and right for any signs of a glowing spirit for him to vanquish.

Keros nodded, looking up at the sky **"Yeah, this is the work of the Rain card. She had the power to create and manipulate rain clouds. I'm surprised I didn't sense her sooner."** he told Naruto as they walked down a deserted alley. He was keeping close to Naruto, still trying to be inconspicuous. His ears were picking up the sounds of footsteps not far behind, which meant they were being followed. He was surprised he hadn't sensed Rain's presence earlier, given how large the storm seemed to be. The other night had had sensed Fly almost immediately. Either something was dulling his magic senses, or Rain had been drained of power for some reason, and had only recently reached full power.

Naruto nodded, taking Keros' words into account, and trying to figure out how he could locate this card. But… if he was to go Clow hunting, he would have to get rid of his new shadow. Turning, Naruto sweat-dropped at what was possibly the worst disguise he had ever seen. It was a sheet meant to allow a use to blend in with a brick wall. Only whoever was following him was leaning against a wooden fence. With a sigh, he yanked the illusion away, revealing the brat from earlier. Luckily, Keros had the foresight to stay out of the kid's sight.

Konohamaru smirked, this guy was good, he had seen through his excellent disguise! This just made him all the more excited. So when his future teacher asked what he was doing, he promptly told him "I want you to be my new sensei!" he declared.

Naruto blinked "What?" he asked.

"You're a ninja right? So you must know all sorts of cool ninja tricks! And I want you to teach me so I can fulfill my dream!" the kid declared.

"But I thought that guy with the glasses was your sensei?" Naruto asked still confused.

Konohamaru scoffed "Ebisu-sensei is so lame! All he ever does is have me read history books or lecture at me! We almost never do anything real ninja-y!" he complained.

Naruto nodded, his sympathy's went out for the kid. He had always disliked books. And the one time he had trusted one, he'd ended up in the mess he found himself in now! Plus, being called sensei sounded great to his ego. Maybe he could….

Keros gave him a sharp whack to the back of the head, making him wince in pain. Thankfully, Konohamaru didn't notice in the rain. Right, he still had a job to do.

"Look… kid… I wish I could help, but I sorta already have a miss-" he stopped upon seeing the dejected look the brat was giving him. He couldn't just leave the kid all alone! But he couldn't abandon his mission either! So what could he… of course!

Konohamaru watched as his new sensei made a cross shaped hand sign, and in a puff of smoke, six more Narutos filled the alley. Naruto grinned as he watched the boy's wide eyed look at the awesome ninja technique.

"Alright" Naruto addressed his clones "you go with… what's your name again kid?" he asked, having forgotten what the glasses guy had said it was.

"Konohamaru" the kid said his name with pride.

Naruto nodded "Right. Go with Konohamaru and help him with… something" he ordered. Turning away from his pseudo-student he started to walk away "As for me, I've got some top secret important ninja stuff to do" Naruto said with his fox grin. Keros just rolled his eyes, maybe Naruto couldn't keep a secret as well as he'd hoped.

As the two groups parted, Naruto ducked into a side alley and broke into a run, already thinking how he might defeat the Rain card. However, his hopes of using the element of surprise would be ruined, given that Rain had been aware of him the moment he'd stepped outside.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Rain smiled, the exhilarating feeling of water falling from the sky to blanket the village warming her heart. Everywhere the water touched, a part of her was there. She saw the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the ninja and the civilian. Some grumbled about the sudden change in weather and went inside. Those made her laugh, and pleased her inner trickster. Others shrugged it off and went about their business, only some having to change their plans. Those annoyed her inner showman. But her personal favorites were those who looked at the rain and smiled. They laughed and played and made merry, all enjoying her creation. Rain closed her eyes, enjoying her creation; a storm that (Clow willing) would last for days and days!

But then, she felt it. Her eyes snapped open at the familiar feel of magic. Keros! He was near, and by the feel of it, so was the Sealing Wand, the familiar magic of her creator's tool registering not a second after Keros did. Focusing, she locked onto Keros, to see what she could find about her former guardian.

He was small, in his plush state. He was hard to see, given that he was hiding in a young teens golden hair. The boy himself didn't look all that impressive, being barely taller then her. He was talking to Konohamaru, though how they met she had no idea, given that it hadn't happened in the rain. She saw the boy suddenly create multiple duplicates of himself, and send them off with Konohamaru. Rain now knew this was no ordinary boy. She should have known the moment she saw that Keros was with him but this was the icing on the cake. Focusing, she heard Keros tell the boy of her and her powers. Rain frowned, that could only mean that Keros would likely send the boy to reseal her. She saw the boy run off, likely to find a place to unseal his magic. Well, if it was a fight they wanted, she would give it to them in spades!

Focusing all her will around this boy, Rain felt the flow of the rainstorm around her change. The water that fell all over the village suddenly lessened in the outer region, but becoming heavier towards it center of town. It was like all the storms power was converging on one very small, very unfortunate target. Rain grinned, and when her rain was in position, she snapped her fingers.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto almost buckled as the water hitting him almost quadrupled in strength. His cloths quickly soaked, and no matter how fast he ran, the rain never slowed.

Keros found himself plastered to Naruto's head, and he knew that Rain had become aware of them and their intentions. He wished their was more he could do, but in his current state, he was lucky he hadn't been washed away by the storm.

Finally Naruto reached the edge of the city, and seeing no was around (the storm having driven the people inside) drew the Fly card. From what Keros said, the Rain card would most likely be in the air. So what better way to confront her then take to the sky?

With a flash of light the Sealing Wand returned to full size, and a swing of it summoned his angelic wings. As they popped into view Naruto leapt into the air, his wings beating against the downpour that sought to keep him earthbound. As he gained altitude, he slipped on his old green goggles, which offered him at least some protection.

Rain grimaced as she watched him take to the skies. So he had caught Fly huh? Then he wasn't a complete novice like she'd first thought. Very well, let's see if he could really use those wings…

Stretching out her left hand, she kept her palm facing down. A secondary layer of rainclouds formed under her and moved outwards to encompass the area under bother her and Naruto. This would be just what she required for her next technique. The fact that it would keep anyone from seeing either her or Naruto was also a benefit. Slowly, she turned her hand, so her palm now faced upwards.

Then, miraculously, rain started to fall **_upwards!_** The full power of a vicious monsoon, now went against gravity itself and fell upwards towards the cloud ceiling, which still continued to rain normally. But Rain wouldn't end it there. With her right hand, she made a tight fist, and focused on the rain clouds that made the 'ceiling' or their arena. She did the same with her left hand, making sure to keep her mind focused. She had to focus on her rain, and not the boy with the angel wings that was fighting viciously towards her.

Naruto was beset on all sides, the rain almost a literal cage which had sprung up around him. He was drenched to the bone, and it was hard to flying straight. The one good thing though, was that this HAD to be the extent of the cards power! There was no way it could get worse then this!

Famous last words.

Naruto reflexively hissed as something hot hit the back of his neck. Then another something hit him. And another and another. Each one hotter then the last. At the same time though, his legs jerked as icy water started to strike parts of his exposed skin. In a few moments, Naruto was feeling something truly unique. Not many people have had both scalding, and freezing water dropped on them at the same time.

Rain giggled somewhat maniacally as she watched Naruto attempt to escape her hot and cold showers. He'd fly lower to escape the boiling water above, only to be pushed back by a veritable wall of near arctic temperature water. She heaved a sigh, wishing the boy would fall soon. She wasn't used to having to fight this hard with her powers. Normally she acted as back up to one of her siblings. She was out of practice fighting a strong opponent by herself.

Naruto only had a vague plan, cobbled together out a desperation, prayer, and duct tape; but it was all he had, so it needed to work. Bracing himself, he pushed upwards towards the stinging pain of the hot water clouds, stopping just short of the point where he might collide with them. Gripping the Sealing Wand, he called on his only other card:

"Windy! I call on you to help me! Push back these clouds and give me some breathing room!… Please!" he said, adding the please as an afterthought. After all, no need to antagonize the mystic spirits so they don't do their best to help you.

The moment Windy appeared, Naruto nearly dropped out of the sky as his wings shrunk to half their former size. Windy also didn't look quite as imposing as she had the other night. The winds that made up her being weren't whipping about quite as ferociously. But that didn't mean she was still able to kick some ass.

Raising both hands, Windy snapped her fingers, calling two golden whirlwinds into being. Said winds charged the cloud floor and ceiling with great vigor, yanking them apart and tossing them about with great vigor. Naruto now had a much clearer shot at Rain, even if his wings were only half as powerful as they had been.

Rain gulped as she watched the wind tear her lovely clouds apart. Windy was here. The boy had a major element on his side! How could she fight that! No! Now was not the time! She would show him, and she'd show that stuck up bit-oh Reed he was coming right at her!

Rain summoned a cloud to release a waterfall of water at Naruto, who was shooting towards her with great speed. He ducked and weaved, before finally batting the cloud out of the sky with a well timed swing of the Sealing Wand. He was almost right on top of her!

At the last second, she jerked her cloud up, hoping Naruto would fly right under her. She partially got her wish, as Naruto started to fly right passed her thanks to his momentum. But Naruto had some pretty good reflexes, and lashed out his hand before he passed, catching the edge of her cloud in his grip.

Now, under normal circumstances, it should be quite impossible to physically touch a cloud. However, thanks to the magic he now had, Naruto could touch it just fine. This, combined with the speed at which he was still going, nearly made him jerk the cloud out from under her.

Rain caught herself, and focused on keeping her cloud steady. In desperation, she tried to shoot the boy off her cloud with a blast of H2O from the cloud, but he was still hanging on!

Naruto grunted in frustration as he beat his wings furiously despite the pressurized water hitting him about the face. Rain was so close, he could practically see the nonexistent whites of her eyes! Finally, frustration gave way to strategy. With a heave, he swung the Sealing Wand in an arc, the Kyubi's grinning maw heading towards Rain's pretty cheek. With no time for an epic declaration, he basically ended up screaming what amounted to:

"Knock it the fuck off!"

Stars exploded into her vision as the boy slammed the crimson staff into the side of her head. The force of the blow was surprisingly enough to knock her off the cloud and send her plummeting towards the ground below. Of course, the moment she left the cloud, it dissolved into water vapor, leaving Naruto at gravity's tender mercy.

Luckily, Naruto managed to turn himself in mid-air to keep her in site. He saw that she was trying to summon another cloud through the ringing in her ears, and knew he needed to press the advantage. With Windy providing a powerful boost, he shot towards his quarry like a rocket.

Just as the cloud had formed under her, he slammed into her like a professional quarterback, his momentum carrying them both into the hard earth; with only her small cloud to cushion her fall.

She felt tired and drained, but even then she wouldn't give up! She tried to pull herself out of the small crater their impact had made, but found she could only crawl. She had expended far to much energy with her constant rain clouds, and it was taking its toll.

Just as she'd taken two shaky steps away from the boy, she heard him speak. "I am the Card Captor, and I order you to return to your true form!" he commanded, sounding strong despite his injuries. "Rain Card!" looking over her shoulder, she saw him bring the wand down just behind her back.

Seeing the golden outline of her card appear made her quicken her pace, but by then it was too late. She could feel her body dissipating, becoming more and more insubstantial by the second. Looking up, she watched her beautiful clouds fade and give way to that distasteful blue sky. She felt the magic of Clow calling her home, and she felt her pain fade along with her body. But she didn't care, and she continued to struggle anyway. Even when she heard the ethereal voices of Fly and Windy calling to her, telling her things were going to be okay, she resisted. She was so close! She was going to be her own person! She wasn't going to have to play by anyone's rules but her own!

_'It will be okay Rainy'_ Windy said affectionately in her head. _'This boy… Naruto… he will care for you'_ she said softly.

And with that, she was gone, sealed once more into her card. She could now see the face of the boy who sealed her up close as he examined her card. His eyes were quite blue, and they held a vast amount of emotion. In that chaotic mixture appeared to be genuine concern. If that was the case, then maybe… just maybe… her sister was telling the truth?

Naruto blinked as he looked down at the Rain card. She had fought so much harder then the Fly had. And something told him that… there was more to her then he had seen. Because, he reminded himself, the Clow Cards were sentient spirits just like he was. They had thoughts and feelings, so he supposed that perhaps the Rain didn't really want to be sealed up after getting her first taste of freedom in a long time. He could sympathize he supposed. Maybe he could work something out so that the Clow Cards got the chance to experience the real world, without causing so much of a ruckus?

Standing up, he thanked Windy and Fly for their excellent service. As he rung the water out of his shirt (and ignored Keros' complaints about how much the plushy hated wet fur) he realized he still had one thing he had to do.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto blinked from his hiding spot in the trees, wondering if his battle with Rain had done more head trauma then he'd thought. He'd just watched one of his clones summon another horde of clones (he didn't think he'd put that much chakra into them for that) and combine the technique with the sexy jutsu. The result was… intriguing to say the least, and had left both Keros and him blushing madly (but to their credit, their noses did not bleed!). The effect was apparently so overwhelming that it knocked that glasses guy that was with Konohamaru earlier out cold.

If that wasn't enough, his clone had then proceeded to give an inspiring speech to Konohamaru. Who knew he could be such a good public speaker? The kid promptly ended his apprenticeship with Naruto, before declaring them rivals. Keros admired the boy's spunk, and wondered if one day the kid could live up to his words.

After he walked away, the clone saw them and waved, before popping out of existence. Naruto found himself flooded with memories of the day (upon further reflection, he realized he had the other clones memories too, but had been to occupied to acknowledge them). Naruto blinked; he hadn't known that feature of the Shadow Clone technique.

Explaining the situation to Keros, Naruto was a little disturbed by the plushy's suddenly demented grinning and hand rubbing. It looked oddly threatening on such a benign creature…. Oh well, the sun was starting to set, and it was time to head out to get dinner. Though perhaps changing into some dry clothes was in order first. Looking at the sky, he saw the sky was totally clear. Naruto smiled, thinking that this really hadn't been such a bad rainy day at all.

Of course, months later Konoha's weather teams would still be tying themselves in knots trying to figure out the cause behind the sudden and drastic change in the weather. But that's a story for another time…

**End Chapter 2**

**And there it is folks, the end of chapter two. Naruto's current card count: 3 (Windy, Fly, Rain). I hope everyone was please...? It's hard to give the Clow Cards personalities, because they essentially have to be written from scratch. So, that said, I hope Rain came out ok. And again, Konohamaru didn't do much, but at least he was acknowledged. I've seen fics that skip over him completely, and only mention him later arbitrarily. Keros didn't have much to say this chapter, but that won't always be the case. Naruto hasn't started his ninja life yet, so expect things to really pick up when that happens (which for those of you who are curious, will start chapter after next. That's when he'll meet his teammates). **

**So yeah, that about covers it... anything else (shuffles notes about, adjusts glasses) ah, we do have some announcements: **

**ANNOUNCEMENT ONE: Anyone who's read my other fics (available from my profile, which you should totally do after you finish reading this *wink wink*) knows that I don't mind audience participation. So here's something I could use your help on: Naruto's new duds. I have no idea what kind of cloths would be good for him now that he's the Card Captor, and I don't want to use the orange jumpsuit. What would you suggest? Leave your idea in a review or PM if you like. If I chose it, or draw inspiration from it, I'll shout it out when I use it. You have a little time to think, and I don't need it by next chapter, but when it comes time to write chapter 4, that's when I'll use it if I'm gonna. So don't wait, start racking your brain now! **

**ANNOUNCEMENT TWO: This has nothing to do with this fic, but rather for a special I plan to do in April. I call it: THE COMEDY CENTRAL ROAST OF NARUTO UZUMAKI! In case the title was clear, I'll be parading a Comedy Central Roast with Naruto as the guest of honor. The roasters will be the other rookies, plus team Gai and the Sand team (maybe have some other special guests as well). What does this have to do with you? I NEED JOKES! Not just any jokes though, I need jokes about the Naruto cast! And quite a lot of them too, so I've decided to delegate the work to you, my (hopefully loving and supportive) fanbase. So GO! Scour the internet for material, or make up your own! But bring me jokes a plenty! What types of jokes? Well, for that, you may find it helpful to watch a roast. That should give you idea. If your joke is selected, you will of course get a shout out in the chapter. One thing though, if you are going to leave a joke in a review, leave an actual review first, then tell me your joke, okay? Thank you. **

**ANNOUNCEMENT THREE: This also has nothing to do with this fic. Instead, this is to inform you of an upcoming series of oneshots I'll be doing. They'll feature character from various bits of media getting one of the eight Lantern rings from the DC comics (I say eight because I won't be doing the white ring... probably). This announcement is to both inform you, and to also say feel free to suggest someone you think is Ring worthy. HOWEVER! Don't leave the suggestion in a review for this story! PLEASE! Wait until the actual story has been put up (because I do have some ideas already). Thank you. **

**ANNOUNCEMENT FOUR: I FINALLY HAVE INSPIRATION FOR NARUTO IN HELL! (applause break, waits for cheering to die down) thank you, yes I know. So expect that counter next to chapter seven to finally start going up again soon (which for me means: before the end of the month). **

**Alright, that about covers it. Again, I hope you all like the chapter, and if you did, please let me know by clicking the review button. And after you leave a review, if you want to give me your suggestion for Naruto's new outfit, or maybe a joke for the April roast, that'd be fine too. Either way, I hope you all have a wonderful day, thanks for reading, and here's a bit of a teaser for you: **

**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 3 - The Day Where Everyone Vanished  
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Until Next Time... _  
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	3. The Day Where Everyone Vanished

**Hello everyone. I hope you all had/are having a wonderful Thanksgiving. I saved posting this until today, to give you all a little something extra to be thankful for. Although it 4 am as I write this, it still counts. Besides, I have to get up early tomorrow for dinner with the family. That said, I am going to skip answering questions this chapter, and will instead get to them next time. Also, the matter of Naruto's costume is still not 100% solved, but I will give you another chapter to think about it. So, you now have until chapter 5. But enough gabbing, let's get into this new chapter of... **

**Naruto: Card Captor**

**Chapter Three: The Day Where Everyone Vanished! **

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The young woman smiled at her reflection as she adjusted her jester's hat just so. After making sure she had all her supplies for the day, and that she was wearing her best smile, she knew she was ready to face the world! Stepping away from the shop she walked around the corner to her destination: the business district playground. It was set off to the side of the shop lined street, and was where many parents dropped off their children to play with others while they did their shopping.

Of course, her appearance quickly earned the attention of the children and even some of the parents who sat watching over them. She was tall, approaching six feet in height. On her head was a checkered jester's hat, with large jingly bells on the end which tinkered ever so jauntily. The checkered theme persisted throughout most of her outfit. While her sleeves were solid white for instance, the body of her leotard was black and white like her hat. Around her neck was a large ruffly frill, and her face was milk white (as far as the people knew, from make-up). The one splash of color on her whole body, was the ruby pendant which hung just above her breasts.

Smiling politely at the people which stared at her, she held up her left hand. Then, she draped her special cloak over it (the people watching weren't sure where it had come from, or if she had been holding it all along). Quickly pulling back, she revealed a beautiful batch of roses. This received some milld applause from the handful watching, which doubled when she tossed them into the air, only for them to vanish before they hit the ground. That got some murmurs of admiration from the crowd.

It also made more and more of the children come closer. She smiled gently at them, wanting only for them to like her. Of all the possible audiences, she liked performing for children the best. They were the easiest to please, and they would stay with her the longest.

The children laughed when she waved her wand (again, taken from a place no mortal eye could see) and made her own hat vanish, only to reappear on the head of a small pale-eyed girl at the back of the group. She noticed the girl looked startled by the hat's sudden appearance, and she noticed one of the adults stand up, very tense. She quickly took her hat back, waving her hands at the adult appeasingly. Thankfully some of the other parents told the man to calm down and he sat back down to watch his daughter. Good, she didn't want anyone from her audience to leave her.

It was so nice to have an audience again after so long. She would have started her act yesterday, but then Sister Rain went ahead and started before her, and blanketed the village, canceling any possible performances. She supposed she should be annoyed at her sister, but really, how could she? Sister Rain hadn't known she was planning a performance for the day, so she could hardly place the fault on her. Maybe it was her own fault for not seeking her siblings out after she became conscious? Oh well, no time for that now! She had a crowd to perform for!

During her sleep, she had thought up so many knew tricks for a new act. Of course, she hadn't had time to do much shopping, given that she didn't have any money. Master Reed had always bought her the things she needed (when she could convince him to of course). Now though, she sensed that Master Reed was indeed gone, which meant she'd likely have to support herself. That would be difficult, given that she had no real skills except for her talent at making things… disappear. She supposed she could just try her hand at robbery. But no, that'd be terribly impolite of her. People worked hard for their things, and it would be just terrible of her to take them away without asking.

The woman tilted her head to the side, and gave her ear a good solid smack. The children giggled as one by one, five multi-colored balls seemingly fell out of the woman's ear. Even the adults were impressed by this slight of hand. How had the woman done it? This whole time, she hadn't said a single word. She'd just gone about her performance, making things disappear or reappear, and now juggling!

Suddenly a feeling struck Erase (for that was her name, thank you very much for asking) that almost made her drop her juggling balls. She sensed magic in the air. Why, Master Keros was in the village. How splendid, she hoped she got the chance to see him soon. Odd though, she also felt the magic of Master Reed's sealing wand as well. Now who could be using that? She knew Keros couldn't use it himself… perhaps Keros was training someone new in the arts of magic? That was quite nice of him, perhaps they'd come to her show later? She wondered what had them up and about now… ah! It seemed one of her other siblings was out to play today as well. Thankfully, they were on the other side of the village, so they wouldn't disrupt her show. Oh! Her show! She really should be concentrating on the audience! She couldn't allow the show to end!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto grunted in annoyance as he leapt off the tree branch towards his quarry. This wasn't supposed to be this difficult! By Keros' own description, this should be one of the easy ones! For goodness sakes, it was a miniature hot-air ballon, why was this so hard!

Yes, right now, Naruto was busy chasing the latest Clow Card around the base of Hokage Mountain. It was the Float card Keros had said, with the rather simple power or making things float. He said it was relatively harmless, and should be easy enough to catch; after which, he'd flown off, presumably to find a good spot to nap. That was almost an hour ago.

The main problem was that Float seemed to be exuding some sort of anti-gravity field about it, making everything that got close to it weightless. The first time he'd gotten close, he'd jumped towards a branch in it's field of influence, started floating (without losing his momentum mind you) and overshot himself so that he slammed right into a tree. He had not been amused.

He'd then had the brilliant idea (stop chuckling dammit! It happened!) to use kunai and wires to anchor the ballon. Because while he couldn't use non-magic weapons to **hurt** the Clow spirits, surely they could be used to **bind** them, right? Unfortunately, it didn't matter if the kunai and wires would have been able to hold it down, because as soon as Naruto tossed them, the Float drifted aside to avoid them. It didn't help that the kunai kept drifting upwards thanks to Float.

After that, the Float had apparently wanted to go sight-seeing, as it had quickly drifted away from him, forcing him to chase after it. It didn't go very fast, but it was a hassle all the same. With a sigh, he figured this was one he just couldn't avoid using the Clow Cards for. It wasn't that he didn't like using them, he really did, but he liked fighting his own battles. He figured he'd use Rain, and ask her to use one of her clouds to corral the wayward Ballon, while letting him ride on another.

But alas, fate really wanted to yank Naruto around today. Because no sooner had he reached for the Sealing Wand, did Float unexpectedly drift a bit closer towards him, and putting both him, and the boulder he was perched on, in its field. With a quake, the large rock dislodged itself from the earth. The effect was so sudden, that Naruto nearly fell off the rock. As he flailed his arms to keep his balance, he accidentally let go of the Sealing Wand, sending it sailing towards Float. In a move that would prove the existence of Murphy's law to just about anyone, the Sealing Wand landed… in Float's basket.

Crap.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The problem started midway through her performance (in which she was currently making a variety of colorful balloon art for the children). A father had come out of one of the stores, approached the children, and told one of the girls it was time to go home. The man didn't even pay her act much attention! The little girl had protested, saying she wanted to stay. But the father was admit, something about dinner at home, and the girl having homework or some such thing. Sadly, the little girl looked like she was going to leave the show.

She was going to leave **her!**

She found this…. unacceptable! Therefore, she felt perfectly justified in her following actions. When the man had turned his back on her, she'd taken one of her handkerchiefs and tossed it at the man. It had expanded in midair, and by the time it came to rest on top of him, it was large enough to cover his entire body. Of course the man had been started and stumbled about. She noticed the children (even the little girl) were giggling, though some of the parents looked confused. With a wave of her wand, she ended the man's prattling, and the cloth fell to the ground as the man vanished into thin air.

The children applauded this latest trick of their new friend, but Erase noticed that the parents were now looking quite concerned. They were clearly wondering if this was just another trick, or had she just done something terrible before their very eyes? She preferred not to think of it as something terrible, she was merely protecting her audience. They couldn't leave now! They couldn't leave until **she** said they could leave!

A few more of the parents stood up, the white eyed man from earlier included. She knew what they would want, she knew what they would do. They would take her new friends from her, they would make her end her performance early!

So, with wide eyes, she waved her wand above her head, all eyes on her as a strange silver fog poured out of it, twisting and turning to form odd patterns in the air. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she pointed her wand over the heads of the children at the adults behind them. She would teach them to interfere with an artists performance.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

He had finally come up with the perfect idea. It was so simple he nearly smacked himself in the head for his own stupidity (not that he would ever admit to such a thing mind you). Making a cross sigh, Naruto summoned a dozen shadow clones. Since he already had the plan in mind when he created them, they knew what to do. As one, they leapt into Float's field of influence.

Instantly, the multitude of Naruto's found themselves weightless. Then, pairing up, six of the Naruto threw the other six towards Float. When Float suddenly changed direction to drift a different way, the Narutos again divided, throwing three Narutos at it. Now, with Float tantalizingly close, two of the Narutos gripped the last, and hurled him with all their might.

Naruto nearly soared passed the tricky spirit, but managed to catch the side of the basket. With a cheshire grin, he hauled himself into the basket, and quickly claimed his prize in the form of the Sealing Wand.

Gripping the wand tightly, Naruto thrust it upwards, into the ballon itself "I am the Card Captor, and I order you to return to your true form; Float Card!" he said, his voice carrying a note of authority.

Obligingly, the Float card turned into golden mist, which quickly turned into a Clow Card that Naruto quickly snatched up. But that was where the good news ended. For, when Float disappeared, so did its influence over gravity.

Naruto looked down, seeing that the basket he was standing in was gone, and nothing was holding him up. "Ah, cra-"

WAM!

Somewhere, Sir Isaac Newton was laughing.

Naruto awoke after his impromptu battle with gravity, to see Keros holding his sides as he yucked it up overhead. Naruto frowned, his eyebrow twitching. "How nice of you to show up **after** I've already capture the Clow card. Where were you?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice calm, all while moving his hands subtly towards the flying rat to strangle him.

**"Oh, I was just in that tree over there napping"** Keros pointed to a nearby tree **"Until 'someone' woke me up with their screaming. The next thing I see, is you plummeting straight to earth screaming like a little girl."** Keros broke out into a fit of giggles again, flapping his wings and putting himself out of Naruto's reach.

Naruto humphed, seeing he wouldn't be getting his revenge. "I could have used your help back there." he grumbled.

Keros raised an eyebrow **"I made you the Card Captor, I wasn't aware you'd need my help for every little thing."** he said landing on Naruto's head and burying himself in his charge's golden locks. **"Besides, things worked out all right. You did good, even without magic."**

Naruto, his ego now somewhat soothed, picked up his things and got ready to head back to his apartment for lunch. "I just hope that's the last one for the day. I'd really like to spend a day off relaxing for once." he said.

Feeling Keros stiffen up, Naruto couldn't help but groan "Don't tell me…"

Keros nodded **"That was another reason I woke up, besides your little girl scream I mean"** he poked fun at his charge again **"I felt some powerful Clow Card magic back at the village, so I figured if we hurried we could catch it before it could do much harm."** he explained.

Naruto sighed picking up his pace. In less then ten minutes, they'd arrived back at the village wall. Quickly leaping to the top of the gate, Naruto expected to see the sprawl of the bustling city that was Konoha. What he saw though….

"What the fu-" Naruto started

"**Ah Hell"** Keros smacked himself on the forehead at the sight that laid before them. Or perhaps more accurately, the lack of what laid before them.

Konoha was gone. Really, the whole thing had damn near disappeared. Where sprawling building should be, or roads, or houses, was nothing but a swirling silver mist. Hell, even the **Hokage-fricken-Tower** had vanished! The other weird part was the silence. The total absence of any voices anywhere. Hell, if Keros didn't know better he'd have said Silent had set up shop village wide. But no, he knew who this was, the tell-tale silver mist gave it all away.

"What the hell happened!" Naruto cried, almost falling to his knees as they grew weak from the sight of his home town utterly and completely gone before him.

**"It's the Erase card"** Keros told him. "**She has the power to erase anything she wants completely out of existence."** Naruto felt his eyes grow wide. A single Clow Card had done this? Not several working in tandem, but a single solitary Clow Card? Sweet Kami, no wonder Keros was worried about what would happen if this kind of power fell into the wrong hands! The consequences could be catastrophic!

"Is this…permanent?" he asked, his voice quivering with worry. It couldn't be permanent right? Surely this could be reversed.

Keros saw the kids worry and quickly set him straight **"If we manage to catch her in time, Erase can bring everything back, no problem. Heck, people most likely won't even remember what even happened, which is good for us. But…"** Naruto's eyes snapped to him at the 'but' **"If we don't get to her in time…. everything she erased will be gone for good."** he finished, seriousness evident in his voice.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, determination burning in them. "Then let's go and find her then."

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

"How is it we still haven't found her?" Naruto screamed out in frustration. They had been cruising around in Float for nearly twenty minutes, searching the thick swirling mist for any trace of Erase, but so far, their efforts had been fruitless.

**"I don't know. Her magic is all over the place, its hard to pin it down. She's gotten much better at hiding herself."** Keros commented, squinting his tiny eyes as they scanned the thick mists.

Naruto rubbed his knuckles into his forehead, trying to think of something that would make the search go faster. You could practically see the hamster gasping for breath on its hamster wheel. Finally, with an almost audible dinging sound Naruto's face lit up. "I've got it!" he yelled, taking out the Sealing Wand and his stack of Clow Cards.

Quickly shuffling through them, he found the Rain card. "Rain Card, Come Forth!" he cried. With a flash of light and a puff of smoke, Rain stood beside him in Float's basket. Float's altitude lowered slightly, it's magic decreasing with the second summoning.

Rain sighed as she opened her eyes _"Yeah, what do you wan- woah"_ she said, looking around at the swirling nothingness around them _"Erase has been busy"_ she noted, nodding her head in admiration. She was broken from her sight seeing when Naruto put his hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. _"Huh? Oh yeah, what do you need, oh great and mighty Card Captor?"_ she asked, sarcasm heavy in her voice. Just because she had to serve him didn't mean she had to like him. And just because Keros had chosen him, did not make him the second coming of Clow Reed. So there!

Naruto tried not to shout in indignation at Rain's attitude, remembering that he needed her to save to help his village. And yeah, he could just order her to do it, but that was no way to start a working relationship with anyone! So clearing his throat, he spoke "Rain, Keros said that you can sense anything that your rain touches right? No matter where they are?" he asked.

Rain was surprised the first thing out of his mouth hadn't been an order. Then again, what he thought she could do against Erase was anyone's guess. _"Yeah… So?"_ she asked. Keros was wondering that himself.

Naruto sighed, here goes "I need you to cover the entire village in your rain, just like you did yesterday. If you do, you should be able to sense where Erase is, and lead us to her. Can you do that?"

Rain blinked. Keros blinked. That was… actually not such a bad idea. Rain was especially pleased with the idea that she could let out another rain storm again so soon. Maybe this kid did have a good head on her shoulders… but she was still holding judgement!

She got ready to work her mojo when she realized something _"I don't know if I have enough power"_ she said, referring to Float being there.

Naruto assumed the thinking pose, before posing another question "Can one of your clouds hold the three of us?" he asked, referring to Keros as the third (weird, since Keros could fly and everything.

Rain thought about it for a moment before nodding the affirmative. Quickly making one, she and Naruto climbed aboard, Keros staying on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto thanked Float for its help and then dismissed it, then turned to Rain expectantly. Nodding her head, Rain cracked her knuckles as she prepared a real dam burster.

With a wave of her hand, her magic (now stronger then it had been at the time of her capture) rippled through the air, condensing each second into a larger and larger rain cloud. That cloud immediately split off into several smaller rain clouds, which shot off in a multitude of directions, already spilling their contents in the form of a vicious downpour. Rain could feel a part of her mind expanding with her storm, covering this village for the second time. She saw everything (well, as much as she could see thanks to Erase's fog) there was. That was why, when she found something she couldn't see, she knew it was a big deal. A set of her storm clouds had been erased from existence before more then a few drops could fall, but that was all she needed.

Turning to Naruto and Keros she told them the news _"I've got'em. She's that a way, it looked like she had some kids with her."_ she said pointing them in the right direction even as her cloud moved beneath them.

Naruto frowned "That's near the market district and the central playground. Why would she be over there?" he asked his magical companions.

Keros rubbed his chin **"Erase always did have a soft spot for kids. They always enjoyed her performances most"** he said, though his statement only served to confuse Naruto.

Rain, deciding to take pity on the poor boy, elaborated _"Erase is a showman at heart. She can't help but entertain, it's like one of her great passions."_

Naruto nodded, starting to get the picture. Then maybe there was a way to talk Erase down without fighting her at all. As the approached a point where the clouds were thin and figures could be seen, he realized he was about to find out…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Everything was going great. Just great. Erase felt her face strain as she fought to maintain her gentle smile. The kids were fidgeting, their eyes darting back and forth to look at the wispy grayness that surrounded them on all sides. She was beginning to think maybe she had overreacted when she had gone and erased the entire town.

But what was she supposed to do! After she erased the first person, it was only a matter of time before the other people figured out what was going on. They would have ended her show, and taken her audience from her! Performing was all she had left! With Clow Reed dead, and no clear battles or wrongs that needed her, this was all she had! Without an audience to perform for, she might as well still be sealed up! Therefore, she would do anything to protect her audience.

But… but the children were starting to worry. They wanted to go home, and they had stopped smiling…. that wasn't right… they were suppose to smile at her, not look at her in fear! Was she not good enough? Was that it! Well she'd teach those ungrateful little monsters-no! No… keep it together, she was just stressed from not performing for such a long time, she was just nervous… perfectly natural… But what if one of the children tried to leave! She would have to let them go right… right?

A drop of water landed on her nose, interrupting her thoughts and her card trick. Looking up, she saw clouds expanding over the sky. From the feel of it, Sister Rain was at it again. Didn't Sister Rain see that she was in the middle of a performance?

Taking out her wand, Erase pointed it upwards, and immediately the clouds vanished into thin air, earning mutters of wonder from her slightly frightened crowd (well actually they were a lot frightened, but having seen what the clown lady had done to the whole town, figured it was best to lay low and pray). Erase smiled at them, she still had it.

But now that she thought about it, she thought she could sense Sister and Master Keros coming closer to her position. Oh! And it looked like that presence she had sensed with Keros earlier was there too. Maybe they had come to catch her show? That was so nice of them, better late then never.

A few moments later, and Erase spotted Sister Rain on her little cloud transport, bringing Keros and his student with her. She had to admit, seeing the boy holding the Sealing Wand, baring down on her… if she didn't know better she'd say they'd come to seal her up again… but they wouldn't do that right?

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

As the trio landed, Rain wondered if she would be called on to fight Erase. She wasn't sure what she could do, if that was the case. Naruto walked forward, Sealing Wand in one and grinned up at Erase, who was a head taller then he was "Hey! We're not to late for the show are we?"

Everyone present blinked. That was the last thing they had expected him to say. Even Erase seemed taken by surprise. Naruto reached out to shake her hand "Hey, Naruto Uzumaki, Card Captor, nice to meet you"

When Erase clasped his hand, she jolted back as something shocked her. Naruto grinned, revealing the joy buzzer on his palm. When they had been flying over, Naruto had found it near the bottom of his equipment pouch. It was a remnant of his prankster days (not that those had ever really ended). "Sorry, I heard you liked to put on shows… and I'm a bit of a prankster, which is kinda similar right?" he asked, looking Erase right in the eye, putting on the most trusting look he could manage.

Erase mind was clicking away, trying to put together what was going on. He was a prankster… was that like an entertainer? That thing on his hand was meant to be funny? She had to admit, she could see some comedic value to such a device, but that still didn't say why he was here. What if he was there to steal her audience!

Naruto must have sensed where her thoughts were heading, and quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture "Woah now, no need to worry. Keros and Rain were just telling me what a great entertainer you are, so I wanted to see for myself." Naruto said.

Erase blushed, Sister Rain and Master Keros had said that about her. That was so sweet of them! "And I can tell by the way you've got these kids riveted in their seats that you probably live up to your reputation." Naruto continued to pour on the honey, resting his Sealing Wand on his shoulder. "So what do you say, Erase? Will you put on a show for us?" he asked. Behind him, Keros and Rain exchanged glances; what the hell was he doing?

Erase nodded, eager to prove herself after hearing the boy's words. She went to pick up where she left off, only for Naruto to wave her down, making her stop and look at him curiously. "Wait wait wait! I don't want you start in the middle! You should start over!" he said. Suddenly, all the kids paled, worried that they'd have to sit through the performance all over again.

Erase herself looked conflicted, and her head kept glancing back and forth at her two audiences. One was the old one filled with kids, who had become unresponsive to her as time went on, or this new one, consisting of one boy, who seemed so charming and taken with her. What was she to do…

Again, the boy seemed to know what to say "If you're worried about the kids, well… it is getting kind of late. I'm sure all these kids have school work to do before dinner time" he said, and Erase felt herself start to panic again. They couldn't leave her could they? "Erase" Naruto said, snapping out of it "It's important these kids get some food. If they don't they'd fall asleep during your act" he said.

Erase nearly smacked her forehead. How could she forget that! Of course the children were unresponsive to her act! They must be hungry the poor things! And here she'd gone and erased all the restaurants in town!

"But you know Erase, there's also the matter with the size of your audience…" Naruto trailed off, catching Erase's interest. What was wrong with her audience? "It's just that.. sense you've magicked away everyone else in town, your audience can never get any bigger. Only these lucky kids will know how special you are! And while it's nice to have a small group that knows the true you, wouldn't it be nicer if it could grow? Say, these kids tell their parents and friends, who tell their parents and friends, and so on and so forth…?" Naruto was making a lot of sense to Erase, who was starting to realize how silly she'd been.

She'd panicked at the thought of losing her audience, but if she let the children go, she was now sure they would come back! This was there home, so they would surely have seen her again! Oh goodness! This was their home, and she'd erased it! All their little friends and family, were gone because of her! All because she had overreacted! Stupid Erase! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

Erase started smacking herself in the head at her own stupidity, until Naruto grabbed her and made her stop. "Hey, don't worry about it! We all make mistakes" he said, giving her a kind smile "You've been gone for a long time, so you probably don't really know much about how this new world works, huh?" he asked. Erase just nodded, that was the understatement of the century. "And you probably are a little lonely, am I right?" she nodded again, she was kinda lonely. "Well don't worry, your good buddy Naruto's here for you!" Naruto exclaimed, giving her the thumbs up, making her giggle slightly.

"Now, what say you put the rest of the village back to normal huh?" he asked, much to the relief of the children. But then Keros suddenly spoke up, getting everyone's attention

**"Erase! You need to wipe their memories of this moment, otherwise, all our secrets will be blown!"** he said, trying to sound commanding.

Erase looked reluctant, until Rain cleared her throat and got her sister's attention _"It… It doesn't have to be the whole day, Erase."_ she started, feeling weird with all the eyes on her _"Just wipe out everything after you went and… you know…"_ she gestured to the mist that was left of the Hidden Leaf.

Erase thought about it, before finally nodding. As long as the children at least remembered her a bit, she was sure she could build on that in future performances. So, holding her wand above her head, she concentrated. The wind picked up, and a white light sudden appeared, which nearly blinded everyone. Then, in a clap of thunder, the world seemed to explode….

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The children blinked. The parents blinked. Everyone in the Hidden Leaf village blinked. Looking around, they got the feeling you get when you've been daydreaming, and a great deal of time has passed. The human mind quickly forgets about it, and fills in any blanks it finds with things it can accept. To the children, they had been so mesmerized by the show, they didn't even realize it was over until that moment. The parents looked around for the strange woman, wondering how they had dosed off, but quickly wrote it off. After all, it was late, and it was time to go home…

In a back alley, Erase sighed as she watched the children get up and move on. She hoped that was not the end of her career as a street performer… Turning to face the boy who had talked her out of simply keeping the children, she gave him a hopeful look.

Naruto smiled "I'm sure we can work something out Erase" he said, scratching the back of his head "Though I may sometimes call on you for other things too, like fighting or maybe just to talk; I don't know" he shrugged.

Erase felt her heart leap. He not only would allow her to continue to work as a magician, he was going to take her with him into battle! How most wonderful of days! She had purpose again! She would get to see the world around her again after so very very long! He was like Clow Reed, only with the promise of more free time… Erase swore right then, that she would serve this boy, Naruto Uzumaki. She realized he could have easily just sealed her, without promising her a damn thing. It probably would have been easier on him. But that fact that he didn't do that, and had taken the time to talk to her, meant more then he could imagine.

And so, with a swing of his wand, Naruto gained his latest Clow Card, as Erase happily threw herself into the magic stream, flashing back into her card form faster then any of the cards before her.

Rain had to admit, she was surprised things had worked out as well as they did. She was sure the idiots plan would backfire and they be in for the fight of their lives. But some how the kid had a silver tongue tucked behind his teeth. Still, there were a lot of variables that had to have been accounted for, something she wasn't sure he was smart enough to do, which begged the question _"How did you know your plan with Erase would work?"_

Naruto just looked at her, surprised. Then, a sheepish look overtook his face as he admitted "I didn't." Upon seeing Rain's impression of a fish, he elaborated "But I kinda know what it's like to be alone, and doing whatever it takes to get people's attention" granted, he'd never wiped out an entire village and held several children hostage before, but that's just semantics "so I felt I could talk to her on a kinda personal level you know? It's like Old man Hokage once said to me 'sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness'." he smiled at her again, and Rain just nodded.

As she started to transform back into a card, she felt herself warming up to Naruto. His words made her think that there maybe some hope for this… relationship (it was the only word she could think of!) to work out alright. Naruto might just be an okay master after all.

As Naruto collected the Rain card as it fell, he looked at it and his quickly growing stack. If there were as many as he thought, he was going to need to find a better way to carry them around.

As he went to put them in his pocket, he looked down at the Sealing Wand. For some reason, a small slit in the handle had appeared, and it was glowing, as were the two black buttons on the back. Huh? Now what could those be for…

**End Chapter 3**

**Well there you have it. No big fight scene this time. Instead I decided to show that Naruto won't always be able to solve everything by attacking it. And if you think this seems out of character, I assure you it really isn't. Remember, Naruto always had the annoying power to talk an enemy over to his side, given enough time (and flashbacks... so many flashbacks...) so it actually fits. Besides, Erase wasn't really looking for a fight, she was just... misguided.**

**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 4 - Meet Your Sleepy Teammates  
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Until Next Time... _  
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****Also, since this is Thanksgiving, I've gone ahead and updated another one of my stories: Lantern Chronicles. Why don't you go check that out? ****

**And finally, a one shot featuring all my characters (with the exception of these lanterns and the Deadliest Character fighters) getting together to celebrate the holiday. Please check it out, and let me know what you think.  
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	4. Meet Your Sleepy Teammates

**Hello everyone, I hope this chapter finds you well. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and are all looking forward to Christmas (or whatever it is you celebrate around this time of year). I've come to you once again baring the gift of a new chapter of Naruto: Card Captor. I hope you all like it, its a little different then the first three chapters, but I'll elaborate on that after I take care of answering the questions you had from the last two chapters:  
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_**Chapter 2 Reviews:**_

**Wolfpackersson09: I was kinda hoping to keep this mostly in the Naruto-verse, with the only CC-characters being Keros and the Cards. I'm not really sure if this'll have a pairing, but it likely won't be with the Tomoyo of the story. I may have to just break down and throw in a passing reference to her as whoever he buys his cloths from.**

**Xeiden: I'm glad you like it, and as for variety, there is no greater variety then Clow Cards.**

**SagaAuraMana: Glad you like it, and as for the jokes, give it your best shot.**

**darkWING360: YOUR WELCOME. Yeah, I've really re-written the order they come in. If Tomoyo ever appears in the story, it'll only be as a small cameo, and never as a major part of the story. I'm hoping to keep this mostly Naruto, Keros, and CCs.**

**Tray-lover2: I haven't figured out chapter for ALL 52 of the cards, but I've gotten quite a few of them planned. I really haven't given much thought to pairings to be honest.**

**Baron von Nobody: Thank you kindly. I hope to give each card his/her own unique personality. Also, thank you for the outfit ideas, I may use some of them in the future. And lastly, thank you for submitting jokes for the Roast.**

**Animeguy1101: Thanks, and don't worry, I won't be skipping any major cannon events (the bell test, the bridge, etc.) I haven't really decided what to do about Yue, I'm still churning around ideas. As for Tomoyo, see previous answers.**

**chaosKnight: Thank you. Glad you like it.**

**ddcj1990: Glad you like it.**

**kyunaru: Thank you, glad you like it.**

**bluebeeetle: Glad you like it, thank you.**

**Time Hollow: Glad you like it, and thank you for the outfit suggestions.**

**jinchuriki sama: Glad you liked it, and thank you for the outfit suggestions.**

**1TroublesomeGuy: Thank you for the outfit suggestions and the jokes for the Roast.**

**Chapter 3 Reviews:**

**ddcj1990: Glad you liked it, and here you go!**

**chaosknight: Glad you liked it, and here you go!**

**scarlet spider: Glad you've enjoyed it so far, and as for a one card per chapter, that will often be the case. However, some events will require more then one card, but this will be balanced out by the fact that future chapters may not have a card capture at all (mostly around the Chunin exams).**

**Xeiden: He's a silver tongued devil that's for sure. Frankly, I'm waiting for him to convince the Kyubi to let him go full form like Killer Bee. That has to be coming.**

**Fan of Fanfics21: Thank you, and you are correct sir!**

**Baron von Nobody: Thank you. As for the upcoming cards, only one of those is in the near future. One comes after the wave arch, one during the chunin exams, and one during the Tsunade arc. Can you guess which is which? And by all means, give the Thanksgiving special a try.**

**mrglasown0body: Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it.**

**bluebeeetle: Glad you liked it, and while I'm not sure that's the direction I'll go, I do thank you for your suggestion.**

**1TroublesomeGuy: Glad you love it. I'm not sure I'll use your idea for the Lightning card, but I do thank you for it. If I do use it, I will give you credit.**

**darkWING360: Glad you liked it. And thanks for the compliment about the Thanksgiving special. I'm not sure I'll be pairing Naruto with anyone, but if I do, I'll take your suggestion into account.**

**Animeguy1101: Well I'm answering questions now. Yue is going to be a surprise, and Tomoyo will likely receive a cameo at best, but not be a major part of the story.**

**jinchuriki sama: Glad you liked it. Yeah, some problems can't be solved with violence, and those chapters are great for character development. As for Watery, I'm sad to say she will not be appearing next chapter. But thank you anyway.**

**Tray-lover2: Thanks. Yeah, I've decided to expand on some of the cards powers, since in the manga/anime of Card Captors, they didn't always get the screen time they deserved.**

**Imadork: Thanks. And I do go to CC Sakura wiki. Its actually how I get a physical description of each card. And I do look forward to the Wave Arc, lots of stuff is gonna go down.**

**professorchaos: I know it may not look big enough to hide Keros… but let's just say it is ;). He wont be there all the time, and yeah he'll sometime have to use backpacks or pockets. But something about the idea of Keros riding in Naruto's hair is hilarious to me. And I agree, you'd think there'd be more. Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing CCS on TV again, or maybe a reboot.**

**All right, that takes care of that. Now then, how is this chapter different from the first three you ask? Well... this chapter has very little action in it. I know the last chapter didn't have much action in it, and this is similar. This is chapter is where I introduce a lot of the characters you'll be seeing in this story, and establishing some basic personality traits. It's really more about humor and exposition then action. There is a little at the very end, but its not much. I'm just saying this now so I don't get any reviews complaining about the lack of fighting. The fighting will resume next chapter. **

**Also, I'd like to say now; that I do not always subscribe to popular character interpretation. I know it's popular to bash Sasuke and Sakura, and believe me, I've done it myself (heck I may do it sometimes in this story). However, some author (whose name I've unfortunately forgotten) once said that its easy to take a character you don't like, and bash them. But it's something else entirely to take a character you don't like, and try to fix his flaws. I find that profound. So I am going to try and keep the Sasuke bashing to a minimum. Instead, I've come up with a Sasuke I think you might learn to like (at the very least, he made me laugh).**

**Now, for everyone that wants to know about Tomoyo: She will not be the pairing. She will not be a major part of the story. If I put her in, it will be as the merchant Naruto buys his cloths from, and that's it. I want to keep this story mostly Naruto, Keros, and the Clow Cards. I have nothing against her, but she really doesn't have much to contribute. Thank you all for your understanding.**

**So, with all that out of the way, I will meet you after the chapter for further discussion. Until then, please enjoy the latest chapter of...  
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**Naruto: Card Captor**

**Chapter Four: Meet Your Sleepy Teammates  
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_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto awoke on time for once without a fuss. Why? Because today was **the** day! The day he finally entered the ninja world. As such there was no time to waste on hitting the snooze button ten more times. Shaking Keros awake (and ducking as the angry guardian attempted to bite his nose), he quickly got dressed for the day.

Keros hadn't managed to find what he called 'the new signature look', so Naruto had to make due with some of his other 'not orange' cloths. That said, he'd settled on a long white shorts that turned black near the bottom, and a solid black shirt (it's Black*Star's outfit, but with longer sleeves).

He'd had to skip breakfast when Keros had pointed out that the milk was past its expiration date, meaning he'd have to go hungry 'til lunch. So, tightening his new headband, he put Keros in his hair (since the plushy didn't feel like hiding in his pockets), grabbed his weapons pouch, the Clow Cards, and the Sealing Wand and set out.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Oh dear… oh goodness… where was she? How had she gotten here, wherever it was? Where was everyone? Where was father? She didn't like this!

She had materialized in a place that was loud, and full of people! She didn't like to be around people, because they all tended to be so much bigger then her! (not that this was hard, even her sister Little was bigger then she was). That was why she had always been more of a background kinda gal. She and her powers just weren't meant for interacting with large people (relative to her anyway) on a daily basis. And you know what? She LIKED it that way!

… at least when she knew one of her siblings was around to protect her. And right now, she really wished that was the case…

Pull yourself together Sleep! You can do this! Just because your alone in a strange place surrounded by strange people who are all bigger and stronger then you is no reason to be afraid for your life… right? Ok, she'd just have to wait for help! Yeah, that was it! Sooner or later one of her sisters would feel her magical signature and come looking for her. Or maybe… if she could last until dark, she could go looking for them if they sent up a signal. Until then, she could be productive by trying to figure out where the heck she was!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

_"Oh Sakura…." Sasuke moaned as he left a trail of kisses from the top of her forehead down her body. She and the last Uchiha had just finished making love, and were now busy cuddling in his large, soft bed._

_"Sasuke" she giggled as his hands played over her large, D-Cup breasts "you're so naughty"_

_"Would you like me to describe how much I love you?" he asked looking at her with love in his eyes. He was dedicated to her, and only her, and wanted nothing more then for her to be happy._

_"Of course" she whispered ecstatically. After years of dedication, it was nice to see one's work pay off in such a wonderful way._

_Sasuke took a deep breath, opened his mouth and said -_

***BEEP*BEEP*BEEP***

Sakura gasped as she awoke with a start. Looking around her room, she found herself at a loss for a few seconds. Slowly, her hand came down and turned off her alarm, as the rest of her room came into view. It was a sad realization that she was not, in fact, in the Uchiha mansion, making love to Sasuke. Looking down, she saw only her own woefully underdeveloped breasts. Sigh.

Getting up, Sakura quickly prepared for her big day. After getting dressed in her red dress and brushing her hair, she made sure to write down today's dream in her diary. After it was carefully catalogued for… future study… she ran downstairs to get a quick snack before heading out.

As she walked out her door, she smiled at what a pleasant day it was. The sun was shining brightly and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. It was an awful lot like the sky a few days ago, which had suddenly and drastically ended in a near monsoon levels of rain. It was funny, as she was heading back to her house to get out of the rain, Sakura could've sworn she saw someone sitting on a cloud by the Hokage Tower… but that was just a trick of the light surely… OH! There was Ino heading towards her.

Ino looked up as she felt the eyes of her pink-haired 'frenemy' upon her. As they turned the corner together to walk to the academy, they traded the usual bards. She remarked on Sakura's billboard like forehead; she in turn would remark about how Ino had no pupils. Ino would counter by pointing out that Sakura had no breasts and looked like a transvestite, and she would fire back by pointing out that Ino dressed like a prostitute in training. You know, normal girl talk.

But for some reason, she found her heart just wasn't in it. Ino kept thinking back to yesterday, and found that something was bothering her. She wasn't sure what, but she felt like part of her memories were jumbled. She remembered walking through the shopping district, and looking at some weird… clown woman entertaining some kids. Then she'd looked away, to look at some on sale designer shoes… and the next thing she new, several hours had passed and she had trouble remembering what she'd done. Oh, her mind filled her in on the events between, but somehow, they all felt false. Like they weren't really **her** memories. She'd brought this up to her father, but he'd pointed out that mind was a complicated thing, and that they didn't know everything about it. It was possible she'd just zoned out while shopping, but she found that hard to believe. This would require further investigation. She'd have to keep track of her surroundings in case she suddenly found herself with hazy memories again….

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Hinata sighed as she bade her escort good-bye. Normally, Kurenai would walk with her to the academy, but she apparently had an important meeting to attend with the Hokage, so instead one of the Branch members had taken her. She had a pretty good relationship with the Branch family, but they still weren't likely to make conversation with her unless explicitly ordered too. And today she just wanted to reflect in silence. Ever since that magnificent dream she'd had three nights ago…

_Hinata opened her eyes, the room blue from the light of the moon. Everything was warm and tingly, and Hinata felt herself drawn to the window. As she looked out, the stars and moon seemed unusually bright. But that wasn't what drew the young Hyuga heirs attention. Across the face of the moon, she could see what appeared to be a giant bird. It was the most beautiful white she'd ever seen, with the most magnificent feathers, and the way it moved through the air was so graceful and sweet, it was like a dance!_

_And on top of the bird, wearing that adorable orange jumpsuit of his, sat her handsome, gorgeous, love-to-be, Naruto Uzumaki! He road on the back of the giant bird like a knight on his horse, sailing through the sky with speed and skill like he was born for it. She was sure he was looking right at her, his eyes wide, beckoning for her to come with him… she'd fainted straight away._

When she'd awoken, she'd taken the fact that she was on the floor as her having rolled out of bed. She dismissed what she'd seen as a dream (after all, as far as she knew, there were no giant birds in Konoha), however… she knew it had to mean something. Birds had always been her favorite animal, and white was the traditional color of the Hyuga family. Therefore, the bird in her dream must have represented herself! The graceful way it moved through the air was obviously symbolic of the Gentle Fist style. It's size was likely her dream saying that, if she wanted to be this graceful and amazing, she would need to grow… in confidence obviously. If she could do that, she would tower over her detractors with the attitude befitting an heir to an ancient and noble clan.

As for the Naruto in her dream… she blushed at the thought of Naruto 'riding her bird' (she quickly wiped away the nosebleed before anyone could see it). The Naruto in the dream was likely a manifestation of her love for Naruto. And if she wanted the real Naruto to love her, she would need to become like the bird in the dream: Full of power, skill, grace, and above all else **Confidence!** If she could do that, then her future with Naruto was assured! That was why ever since that night, she'd been trying to come up with ways to make this prophecy a reality.

Yes… the inner-Hinata rubbed her hands together gleefully as Hinata went over her plans again. Naruto didn't know it yet, but soon, he would fall victim to the charms of a strong, more confident Hinata. And when that happened, she'd never let him get away! He'd be her's, all her's! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! (The lightning crashing in the background was only in her head, as was the laughter. Didn't need people thinking she'd flipped her gourd).

Oh, look at that, she was there.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke sighed as he sat down at the kitchen table. As he opened a new box of Ninja-Os, he frowned at the sight of the prize inside. "Another Applejack" he said sadly, taking the brown earth pony from the box. Placing it on his mantel next to a half dozen identical figures, he turned back to his breakfast "one of these days I'm gonna find that Rainbow Dash" he muttered. Quickly eating his cereal, he stood up to wash the dishes and put away his things. Being all alone, he'd long ago learned to be self sufficient. That done, he turned off the TV that had been playing in the background, the kindly image of the aging man in the sweater singing about neighbors disappearing in a flash.

Walking back to his bedroom, he looked in the mirror, making sure he was prepared to face the world. He looked down at the small photograph of his parents, his heart aching at the sight of their smiling faces. "I will make you proud mother, father" he said quietly.

From there, he quickly made his way to the apartment door. The apartment had been his home ever since the day of the massacre; because frankly the Third Hokage was not about to let an orphan stay at the site of his family's murder. God knows what kind of psychological trauma that could have done, and he had enough of that already. He had taken great care of the apartment, his only home now, with great care. It had been difficult, learning to do a great many things by himself, but he'd thankfully had a lot of help. People were always willing to help him, no matter what he needed.

He knew why they did this of course. It was because he was an Uchiha. His family had been a large part of the city's defense force, and the majority of its police. They had also been incredibly famous fighters, known the world over for their legendary eyes. And, being a member of said family, people expected he would one day become just as skilled, and just as famous. That was a lot of pressure to put on a child. It wasn't that he hadn't already been trying to become just like the rest of his family, but the watching eyes of the village weren't helping.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. Those kinds of thoughts weren't helpful or productive. He looked to his left and right, seeing the people who caught his eye smile and wave. Everyone looked so happy to see him. He resisted the urge to break out a grin of his own. He was a real ninja now. The headband on his forehead proved it. And real ninja controlled their emotions. At most, he could allow a small, self-satisfied smirk. As an Uchiha, that was acceptable (he'd checked, the Uchiha's had a reference guide for just such things… don't look at him like that, all old families had one… probably). Still, in his head he had to admit it was a pretty great day. He was finally entering the world of the Ninja (note the capital letter). This was where his journey truly began.

Soon, he would have enough strength to vanquish his brother, and avenge his clan. From there, he could rebuild his clan (if only he could find a girl that wasn't so… fangirl-ish), and restore the honor that had been lost with their deaths. After that, he could rule over the clan, as his father had done, with a watchful eye; to make sure nothing like Itachi ever happened again. He would then live to be a ripe old age, and die, surrounded by his many children and grandchildren, who would themselves be famous ninja by that point. What? He couldn't be a brooding avenger all the time.

Yes, Sasuke thought, smiling inwardly, it really was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, won't you be- damn! Curse that Rogers and his catchily soothing tune. Oh look! There was the academy up head. He wondered what exactly being a new ninja entailed…. he'd read that new graduates were given a sensei… he wondered who his sensei would be.

As he entered, he saw an urchin of blond hair walking toward the academy. Was that Naruto? And here he thought Naruto had failed the exam. Ah well, despite being an annoying prick that constantly got on his nerves, Naruto was… ok… sometimes. He at least seemed to understand the pain of loneliness that Sasuke felt. The dobe considered himself Sasuke's equal, something which he found hilarious. Not to toot his own horn or anything, but he had easily acquired the title of Rookie-of-the-Year.

Ah well, class would be starting soon. The last class ever, now that he thought about it… huh. Almost time for that journey to begin…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto smiled as he walked into his old classroom. Most of the other kids were already there, but there were still a few who had yet to arrive. Walking down the steps to his seat, he was suddenly stopped by a voice behind him

"Naruto? What are you doing here? This is for people who **passed** the exam" a lazy drawl said behind him. Turning, he saw the pineapple-haired Shikamaru Nara. The lazy genius had taken time out of his nap schedule to make a snarky remark, how lovely.

Naruto just smirked right back at him "What are you blind, Shikamaru?" he said, before gesturing to his forehead "I'm wearing a headband aren't I? Obviously I passed the test" he boasted. Shikamaru just grunted and shrugged, before going bank to his nap. Naruto turned back around and took a seat. It was a good seat, but with one small problem: It was right next to Sasuke Uchiha. Smug bastard didn't even have the decency to look at him when he sat down. Probably to engrossed in his emo thoughts about how depressing life was or something…

_"If I had the citizens build a statue of me, what would it be made out of? Gold seems a bit much… silver maybe? Platinum might be nice… "_ oh if only you knew Naruto…

Keros poked his head out of Naruto's locks just slightly, glancing around at his charge's classmates. There were certainly a lot of bizarre looking characters here. But that wasn't the interesting thing. The real reason he'd suddenly woken up (he'd fallen asleep almost as soon as Naruto left the apartment), was that he could almost swear he felt some Clow Magic in the air. But it was so faint, he couldn't be sure.

All thoughts by anyone in the class were interrupted by the sounds of a rumbling storm heading there way. The rumbling grew louder and louder, until it was almost right outside the class door. Everyone felt themselves tense up, when the door suddenly flew open. Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno threw themselves over the threshold at the same time, before both looked up and screamed: "I WON! YOU WON? NO I WON" before growling like jungle cats and butting heads with each other. Oddly, this wasn't the first time this had happened, yet it never got any easier to watch. Feeling the eyes of their classmates on them, the two turned to face the class. It was so quiet you could practically hear the thoughts going through everyones' minds…

**There's the most beautiful girl in the world…**

**Naruto has some weird classmates…**

**How troublesome…**

**Behaving in such a manner, at their age; most irrational…**

**Food, glorious food…**

**Why are all the girls in my class fangirls…**

**Man, those two wear enough perfume to make me sick, I feel bad for Akamaru now…**

**Why is he not wearing his orange jumpsuit today?_ Oh well, I'd tap that no matter what he wears,_ hehehe…**

Needless to say, it was awkward for everyone. Thankfully, this was the last time these two could have such a contest, and for that, everyone was grateful. Surely, once they left to peruse their individual ninja careers, they'd never have to interact like that again, right… right?

Deciding to just sit down, Ino and Sakura separated and went to their seats. Well, not so much their seats, because you see, they were after a very particular seat: The seat by Sasuke Uchiha. Both had claimed the right to the seat, and had long ago fought off any other Sasuke fangirls who might have had the gall to try and claim it. Now normally, they'd just struggle until one of them took the seat for themselves. But there was a problem: the path to the seat was blocked by one Naruto Uzumaki.

Sakura growled. She already didn't like Naruto, with his annoyingly loud voice, his stupid pranks, and his increasingly desperate proclamations of love for her. She frankly couldn't stand him. That was why, when faced with a Naruto related problem, she tended to only have one default solution: hit him 'til he stops moving.

Keros seemed to know what was going to happen, even as the girl wound up for the strike. As the arm moved forward for the blow, Keros sprang into action. He didn't know who this girl was, or why she'd just punch Naruto (not that he didn't feel that urge himself sometimes, but he at least waited until the kid had done something to deserve it first), but he wasn't about to let this girl hurt his charge. Obviously he couldn't do anything to reveal himself, so he'd have to try it the stealthy way. As the first neared Naruto's skull, he yanked back on Naruto's hair, jerking his head back. This moved his head out of the target area, causing Sakura's fist to sail harmlessly by.

This turned out bad for Sakura though, when her hand met unrelenting desk, as opposed to soft relenting skull. As her hand met the wood with a meaty thwack, the whole room stopped. Sakura had never missed Naruto's head before, if only because he didn't seem to mind getting hit that much. Not only had he dodged, but he'd done it with such skill that he seemed to have surprised himself (he certainly looked as shocked as everyone else). Though, most people were honestly more curious if Sakura had managed to break her hand with that last punch.

Sakura swallowed back the shout of pain as he fist met desk. Pulling back, she was relieved to see it was unbroken. As soon as that was done, she refocused on Naruto, now more intent to share with him her displeasure. "Naruto…. " she growled with enough venom to lower tailed beast tremble in fear. "I'm gonna-"

"All right class settle down" Iruka's timely arrival had managed to save the young Card Captor, and only just in time. As he sat down he looked up proudly at the new graduates "Sakura, would you please take a seat" he said kindly.

Knowing better then to piss off Iruka-sensei (seriously, that big head jutsu of his was crazy scary), Sakura just 'humphed' and pushed Naruto out of the way to take her seat beside Sasuke. While she was disappointed to have to sit next to Naruto at all, Sasuke wasn't feeling to great about having to sit next to her either.

Clearing his throat before standing up. He then proceeded to give a long drawn out speech that no one really cared about (if they did, they would have included it in the show, the manga, or in any of the thousands of fan-fics that would be built off the back of the franchise). Eventually, he got the to part that was relevant to the plot:

"And now it's time to divide you all up into teams. Each team shall be a three man cell, presided over by one jounin sensei." he declared.

"Team One: Light Yagami, Saya Otonashi, and Kimihiro Watanuki. Your sensei will be Lelouch Lamperouge.

The three moved towards each other. The first boy, Light had brown hair and a quiet disposition. Though no one knew why, they often found themselves a little disturbed by him. He was insanely smart though, that much they knew. The girl had solid black hair, and chose to wear a traditional school-girl's outfit. She also carried a katana with her, though no one had ever seen her use it. The last boy also had black hair, and wore small glasses. He was always a strange one, talking to things no one else could see. Rumors had it he could see spirits, but frankly no one believed it…

"_A jounin huh? Didn't Naruto say that was one of the village elites? That's good, the boy needs some serious training"_ Keros thought to himself approvingly. While he could certainly build the boy up as far as magic was concerned, he knew nothing about the ways of the ninja. In Clow Reed's time, ninja and chakra were about as common as wizards and magic were now (which was apparently very, very, rare). Hopefully this new sensei could provide some much needed discipline into the boy's life… though it might prove to be a bother if they needed to sneak off to capture Clow Cards…

"Team Two: Allen Walker, Maka Albarn, Yusuke Urameshi. Your sensei will be Ichigo Kurosaki."

Two nice kids and a thug. Allen Walker was a foreigner with silver hair, a thick black coat, and a red line running under his left eye. Maka Albarn wore a black coat as well, but wore a yellow vest underneath it, and a decent plaid skirt. She had nice yellow hair. Urameshi had black hair and, for some reason, wore a solid green getup. It had once been debated which was worse, his or Naruto's. In the end, Naruto won, only because green at least blended into the background.

_"I'll have two teammates huh? Well that doesn't sound to bad, as long as one of them's not Sasuke"_ Naruto thought, placing his head in his hand. All he really wanted to do was learn some kick ass jutsu that might help him become the Hokage. The Clow Cards were great, but he'd need real jutsu to rise to the esteemed position.

"Team Three: Edward Elric, Lucy Heartfilia, and Monkey D. Luffy. Your sensei will be Rushuna Tendo."

Now that combination was just odd. Elric was a remarkably bright (if short tempered) boy. Just don't ever call him short. Ever. Lucy was a blond knockout, with a penchant for collecting keys. And Luffy… well he was kind of an idiot, but a remarkably skilled idiot. He also had a bloodline, which tended to help things.

_"So I was right. Hmm… having teammates will likely just slow me down. I need to train quickly in order to gain strength. I somehow doubt having teammates will help with that." Sasuke thought disapprovingly. "Though I suppose if I get someone competent, it might be more bearable. Shino seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and at least he's quiet. And that Hyuga girl… Hinata. I don't know much about her strength wise, but I've never seen her stalking me, which is a passing grade in my books. They'd still probably slow me down, but at least they'd be better then Naruto, or kami forbid… Sakura"_ Sasuke shuddered at the thought.

_"Please let me have Sasuke, please let me have Sasuke, please let me have Sasuke, please let me have Sasuke, please let me have Sasuke"_ Sakura chanted over and over in her mind. A part of her wondered if she was truly ready for such a path, and if she would be able to measure up to the standards her sensei would no doubt put her up to. If perhaps, just perhaps, her long hours of following Sasuke had not adequately prepared her for her chosen career…. these thoughts were quickly drowned out by the continued chanting of _'please let me have Sasuke'_

By this point, Iruka had already gone through teams four, five, and six, and was now onto seven.

"Team Seven: Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto looked up as he heard his name called "Sakura Haruno" while Naruto mentally did a cheer for getting on the same team as his crush, both Keros and Sakura lamented "and Sasuke Uchiha" Now it was Sakura's turn to cheer (which she did out loud, just to spite Ino), and it was Sasuke who was lamenting (though he did manage to do it without moving his facial muscles. Showing emotion was not the Uchiha way…but seriously, why him?) "Your sensei will be Kakashi Hatake" Iruka said before moving onto the next teams (Which you already know, so… Scene Break no Jutsu!)

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

After team announcements, the class left for lunch. Sakura tried to ask Sasuke out, claiming that as teammates, they should spend this time getting to know each other. She was rebuked, much to her despair. Naruto tried the same tactic with her, only to almost get punched in the face again (though once more, Keros intervened). She stomped off to have lunch by herself, leaving Naruto behind. Naruto shrugged, and left to pick up some take out Ramen.

Sasuke took his small bento lunch box out of his weapons pouch. He had long ago decided to not to eat lunch where people could see him, as this would only encourage fangirls to approach him. As such, he'd found himself a room that was never used, and ate there. The room had a window that opened out into an alley, so in case the fangirls ever came for him, he had a quick avenue of escape. Approaching his safe haven, Sasuke twisted the handle and opened the door….

Sleep had been doing so well. She'd managed to find this room that no one seemed to use, and had hidden behind the ceiling tiles there. There wasn't a lot of room, and it was very dusty, but it was safe. Now, as long as no one came into the room, she could wait until night fall, then go searching for her sisters.

This worked out very well for her for the first few hours. She had always had amazing patients, for which she was thankful. But around noon, she heard someone approaching. Tilting her larger ear in the direction of the noise, she concentrated. Judging by the sound, it was a male, roughly thirteen years, wearing sandals, designer boxers and carrying a lot of emotional baggage (yes, she could tell all of that by just listening. But only with the one ear. How did she do it? Wouldn't you like to know!)

The door opened, and in came the very person she'd heard. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, and had dark blue/black hair (which for reasons she couldn't understand, was stylized to look like the rear end of a duck) that went with his black eyes. All that black could only mean one thing… he was a ruffian. And ruffians were never good news. She couldn't stay here, her position was obviously compromised. If she stayed, he would surely find her, and Clow knew what ruffians like him did to little fairies like her!

So, floating down ever so gently, Sleep took out her special sleep wand. She could either put a target to sleep in one of two ways: A wide area sleep powder, or a controlled burst from her wand. For the ruffian, she'd need the wand, no doubt. So, when she was in range, just behind his head, she raised the wand high…. and brought it down hard on top of his head.

Sasuke had been sitting alone, eating a rice ball, mentally going over the speech he would give to his brother after he broke every bone in his body; but before he was executed like the criminal scum he was. He went over this speech daily in his head, adding bits in, taking bits out (sadly, the sonnet about dancing in Itachi's blood had been removed, due to time constraints). He had just finished deciding to launch into a monologue about how much he looked up to Itachi **after** he cut off his brothers genitals, instead of before like he had originally planned, when it happened. Something struck him in the back of the head… rather hard too. And there appeared to be a fine powder floating around his head… how *yawn* strange… was this Itachi's doing?… *yawn* Sasuke leaned back against the wall, his head next to the window, before closing his eyes and passing out.

Once she saw he was unconscious, Sleep fist pumped in victory. Her first battle after the long nap in the Book of Clow, and she won! And without any help from her sisters! Take that Dark!

Sasuke snorted softly in his sleep, causing Sleep to scream in fright and fly back to the ceiling. After checking to see that he was indeed still asleep, she came back down. She gave him another smack with the wand for good measure, and then flitted out of the room. Victory or not, she was still in need of a place to hide.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto yelped as Keros pulled his hair, forcing him to a stop. Thankfully he was alone, or people might be wondering why he had suddenly yelled and grasped his hair in pain. But he was alone, Keros had made sure of it; he'd been worried when he sensed someone following behind Naruto, but once he'd left the school grounds, that had stopped. He didn't know that it was Hinata, planning on following Naruto to lunch. Sadly, her teammates found her first, and she felt obligated to at least spend some time with them.

Once he had Naruto's attention he said **"We have to go back"**

Naruto raised an eyebrow "Why? We were just there not two minutes ago"

Keros shook his head **"Because two minutes ago I didn't sense a Clow Card at your school. Now I do. So hop to it Card Captor"** he demanded.

Naruto growled in frustration (which was mirrored by his stomach), but knew he had to comply. If something bad happened back at the Academy, and he could have stopped it, he'd never forgive himself. So, with a heavy heart and an empty stomach, he made his way back to the Academy; this time taking care to keep himself hidden. If he was going to have fight a Card Spirit, he'd rather do it privately.

Following Keros instructions, he ended up under the window of a room two floors up. Just as he was about to leap up, Keros stopped him **"Three people are nearby… you need to be careful about what you do or say so you don't tip anyone off"** he warned. Naruto nodded, and jumped.

Ino sighed, she had been forced to have lunch with her teammates (well… not forced, but she certainly wasn't happy about it). Shikamaru was napping and Choji was stuffing his face. So for a sophisticated girl like her, their wasn't much to do. That is, until she discovered that by looking over the balcony they were eating on, she could look down through a window nearby and see Sasuke! It wasn't a very good view sure, but it was SASUKE! And that was good enough.

As she watched him, from the corner of her eye, she saw something move closer to Sasuke… it took her a moment, because he wasn't wearing the orange jumpsuit she was used to, but she quickly realized it was Naruto!

"What is that dobe Naruto doing down there with Sasuke?" she growled "If he's trying to prank him I swear to Kami I will…."

Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke there leaning next to the window, but quickly covered it up "Oh hey Sasuke, there you are!" he said loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear. A closer look though revealed that Sasuke was unconscious "So I was just thinking, since we're teammates now, why don't you and I go get Sakura and eat lunch together, what do say?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound naturally upbeat. Keros slipped down and examined Sasuke for a moment, before returning to Naruto.

**"Definitely a Clow Card. Exit through the door, and I'll explain how we'll get her"** he whispered. Naruto stayed silent, and nodded.

Ino watched as Naruto asked Sasuke to lunch with him and Sakura. Okay, so he wasn't there to prank him like she thought. "Gee, looks like Naruto's doing the same thing we are" Shikamaru commented from his napping position "unless you think its part of some diabolical plan of his to make Sasuke fat with unhealthy ramen?" he finished sarcastically. Choji giggled into his potato chips, while Ino just blushed. Ok, she she was wrong, so they we're just gonna go to lun-

"Hey! Don't just ignore me like that!" Naruto said, sounding frustrated. Ino blinked when she realized Sasuke hadn't responded "Fine! Be that way… try to do something nice for a guy…" Naruto grumbled before climbing in through the window and disappearing from view, presumably using the door.

"Seems like if anyone's a jerk, it'd be Sasuke." Choji commented with a full mouth "doesn't even try to socialize"

"Shut up! Sasuke's just to deep to be hanging around forehead girl and Naruto!" Ino yelled back, defending Sasuke, though even to her, it sounded weak. Shikamaru and Choji just rolled their eyes, before going back to their tasks. Ino turned away from Sasuke too, going back to her own lunch. A small one, of course, a girl had to stay on her diet…

"Ok, I don't think they can see or hear us now, so explain!" Naruto said softly once he was out of view of the window. He had to admit, he loved getting the chance to stretch his acting muscles. But now it was time for business.

Keros agreed **"Right, this"** he said gesturing to Sasuke **"Is the work of the Sleep card. As its name implies, it has the power to put anyone to sleep for near indefinite periods of time."** he explained, Naruto nodding along, having already gathered that much **"Sleep's kind of a chicken, so she'll likely try and find someplace to hide, until someone comes to get her or… "** Keros trailed off, scratching his head sheepishly **"Or, she tries to eliminate all perceived threats at once, and knock everyone in the building out"** he said.

"Ok" Naruto said, trying to remain calm. As far as Clow Cards went, this was pretty tame compared to Rain or Erase. "So how would she do that?" he asked.

Keros thought for a moment **"Sleep can knock people out in two ways: A close range smack with her wand, or a wide area blast of her sleep powder."** he said.

"Ok… and if she wants to knock everyone out at once, she'd have to have a way to get the sleep powder to everyone at once… how would she do that?" he wondered.

**"If it helps, I know how you can track her"** Keros said.

Naruto blinked "Yeah, that would be a very helpful thing to know"

**"Sleep leaves traces of her sleep powder behind her where ever she goes. A side-effect of constantly being on guard for attacks from 'ruffians' "** Keros said, rolling his eyes **"And since its in the air, there's one spirit that will help us quite nicely"**

Naruto got what Keros was saying, and took out the Sealing Wand. The device quickly shifted into ready mode, and Naruto took out the Windy Card. Quickly, he used the magic to summon her, her smokey yellow body standing before him.

Tilting her head she looked down at herself _"I'm only at half power… you else did you summon besides me?"_ she asked.

**"There shouldn't be anyone else out…"** Keros said, looking at Naruto accusingly. Naruto held up his hands placatingly

"I had to let Erase out! Don't you remember… she has those shows to do…" he trailed off.

**"She didn't need half power for those"** Keros growled, annoyed at what he viewed as irresponsible behavior.

Windy, however, just nodded _"Ah yes… I remember Erase saying something about that. It was nice of you to keep your promise to her"_ she said, smiling gently. Despite what Keros thought, the boy was a good master… Besides, from what she could tell, they were after Sleep. And she wouldn't need much power to handle her more easily frightened sister.

With a wave of her hand, the fine powder that often drifted off of Sleep floated back up from where it had settled into the ground. Moving her hand, the air plucked the powder still in the air into a small but growing ball of the substance. Judging by the way it was falling… Sleep had gone this way… Windy quickly floated out the door, taking care to shift to a semi-invisible form. Anyone who saw her would think it a trick of the light. Behind her, Naruto and Keros quickly followed, hoping they wouldn't find any more sleeping ninja-graduates.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sakura sat alone on a bench, staring down at her lunch. She hadn't been able to convince Sasuke to come eat with her, and Ino had been roped into eating with her teammates. Heck, she hadn't even seen **Naruto** since she told him off. So now, here she was… alone. She hated being alone. As a child, she'd had difficulty making friends, and had spent much of her time alone. Things had gotten better once she'd met Ino, who was great at socializing and making friends. But then, when the two of them had joined the Academy, things had gone south. Their number of friends had decreased, and then she had that fight with Ino. A wonderful friendship, lost, all for love. It was terribly romantic… probably. There were days when she just wanted to throw up her hands and call a truce with Ino. Those days were rare, though not as rare as the days she contemplated giving up on Sasuke….

"Oh Sasuke… " she whispered dreamily. She could never stop loving him. She'd come to far to give up now. Still… it would be nice if he were to reciprocate some of her emotions… like he had in her dream

_"Sakura… your forehead is so beautiful… I just want to kiss you! Please, can you forgive my negligence all these year? I was just testing your love, but I can see you are the best girl in the world! Will you marry me!" Sasuke said, taking Sakura's hands and getting down on bended knee._

Sakura closed her eyes as she pictured it, her heart swelling with each imagined word. "Yes Sasuke! I will marry you! You don't know how much this means to me!" she said aloud. She figured it didn't matter if she did, after all, no one was watching…

Sleep had stopped dead in her tracks when she heard someone calling out. She wasn't sure who this 'Sasuke' was, but if they and whoever were talking were near, then her stealth was justified. She had gotten the bizarre feeling she was being stalked, and so had decided to creep through the bushes and tall grass around the building.

Getting curious as she heard a series of giggles, she looked out through the grass, to see a girl with shockingly pink hair, sitting on a bench. The fact that her hair was pink wasn't that big a deal to Sleep (her own hair was blue). What was weird was the fact that the girl was sitting alone, talking to herself. And then she talked about accepting a marriage proposal… no one was there! Clearly Sleep had stumbled across some sort of loon having a psychotic episode. No doubt such a character would be dangerous, not just to Sleep, but to others and possibly herself as well.

Therefore, it was clearly Sleep's duty to take care of the obviously ill girl, no matter how terrified the idea made her. So, from the safety of the bushes, Sleep exhaled a thin mist of powerful sleeping powder. Since her eyes were closed, Sakura never saw it coming….

Sakura had just finished imagining her and Sasuke dancing in celebration by the bench, while a dejected Ino and Naruto watched from afar (Sakura had felt bad about that, so had imagined the two of them making out after awhile, which cleared her conscience right up). But when she went to open her eyes, she found she couldn't. They were too heavy, and she found herself too sleepy. But how could that be…

Sleep knew her work was done when the crazy girl slumped over on the bench. She had to wonder why such a deranged girl would be out in public alone… unless… unless this was where she belong! What if Sleep had unintentionally wandered into a mental institution! That could mean everyone here was off their rocker! Oh… what in Reed's name could she do! She couldn't just up and leave, she had no idea what was out in the world… but she couldn't just expect her sisters or Master Clow to risk themselves by coming to the asylum to get her!

Sleep wrung her hands as she worried. She really wished Master Clow was here… she really needed a hug. Without one of her sisters or him there to assure her everything was alright, her paranoia was spiraling out of control… which was probably how she came up with her new plan.

The way she figured it, no one in the 'asylum' could be considered a threat to anyone if they were all asleep, right? There for, all she had to do was knock everyone out at the same time! But how was she to do that? Well, given the size of the 'asylum' they likely had some sort of venting system. Therefore, all she had to do, was go to the roof, and channel her knockout powder through the buildings ventilation system. The system would carry her powder to the entire facility, knocking out every breathing person in the building.

Sleep clapped her hands as she applauded her brilliance. Master Clow would be so proud of her for thinking independently. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face. With that thought, she quickly flew away, off to the roof to enact her plan.

Poor Sleep, fear makes people (or spirits) believe and do strange things.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto hadn't been following Windy for very long, when they came across Sleep's latest victim.

"Sakura! Seriously?" Naruto cried, seeing his crush slumped unconscious against the bench. What were the odds that Sleep would find and target both of his teammates?

**"Not now, Naruto, we don't have time for this."** Keros chastised **"Besides… she probably deserved it"** he said, turning his nose up at the girl, much to Windy's surprise and Naruto's annoyance.

"Don't say that about Sakura! She's the greatest girl I know!" he practically shouted at his furry companion.

**"Really?"** Keros asked incredulously **"I've only known her one day, and she's tried to assault you… twice."** he said. Windy's eyes widened, before turning back to the girl, viewing her in a different light. She suddenly felt any sympathy for the child fall away like water down a drain. Anyone who would dare to attack Master Naruto did not deserve it. Still, she did have a job to do.

_"We're not far behind, Sleep was just here recently"_ Windy said, the ball of sleep dust now compacted into a sphere the size of a baseball. Her words distracted Keros and Naruto from their argument, who quickly followed her to their next destination.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sleep had made her way to the roof, where she now stood right on top of the asylum's main air-conditioning unit. It was this handy device that regulated the flow of air for the entire building. Sleep had had to use a little guess work to figure out which box she wanted, but she'd figured it out quickly enough. After all, she was an ancient, powerful, Clow Spirit, she should be able to do that much!

Suddenly, Sleep froze, a sound alerting her to multiple approaches. Turning her head, Sleep pointed her larger ear in the direction of the noise (she had once wondered why one ear was so much larger then the other. Shot had told her it was because Sleep had put Master Clow to sleep before he was done, and then as punishment didn't fix it. After she had kicked Shot in the shin, they hadn't spoke for twelve years). By the sound of it, it was one… no… three unknowns. Two male, one female… wait… two of those felt familiar…

It was then that Naruto and co. had appeared on the roof. He hadn't been sure how to clear the building, but luckily Windy and Keros were able to carry him up. As he stood on the edge of the roof, Naruto got his first look at Sleep.

Sleep was small, even smaller then Rain was, being closer in size to Konohamaru then anything else. She resembled a fairy, with white skin and hair, which was very short, and a blue dress. On her forehead was a star, and on her back were to wings which she used to hover slightly above the ground. She was holding what looked to be a wand, with a crescent moon on the end of it. The most outstanding feature though, was that her left ear was larger then the right, and feathered. While normally he might find that funny, he had learned that the Clow Spirits had feelings like people did. Thus, Sleep likely wouldn't appreciate it if he started laughing at her.

Sleep felt her initial fear fade away as she took in who was standing before her. It was Windy! Her smokey yellow form exactly as Sleep remembered it. In her hand, she had a ball of her personal sleep powder, which must have been how they were able to find her. Master Keros was here too! He was in his plushy form, which she personally always found very chibi, much to Master Keros' embarrassment.

She didn't recognize the last boy though. He had sunny blonde hair, and the bluest blue eyes. He was taller then her, then again everyone was taller then her, but that wasn't what she found most interesting. No, that would be…

_"Why do you have the Sealing Wand?"_ she asked. She was very surprised to see him with it. After all, Master Clow Reed would never allow just anyone to touch his precious Wand. Was this boy Master Reed's son? No, that couldn't be it, she didn't sense any of her Master's magic on him. Maybe he was his new student? Master didn't seem the type to take on a student, but then again, she hadn't seen him such a very long time… oh, why not just ask him?

_"Are you Master Reed's student? Is that why he gave you the Wand? Did he send you to find me?"_ yes, that would make sense. But then, why wouldn't Master Reed come get her himself? Maybe he was busy? No… he cared about her too much for that to be it. Maybe he was sick! That might be it, Master was getting on in years when she last saw him (though she would never ever say so). Perhaps he was too sick to come fetch her, so he sent his faithful student and Windy and Keros to find her! Sleep smiled at her father-figure's thoughtfulness. To have such rescue party sent out just for little old her…

Naruto scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed by the relieved look Sleep was giving him. "Um… no… sorry. I'm not Clow Reed's student." he admitted.

Oh, ok that shot that theory down. _"Um… you didn't steal it did you? Because if you did, Master Reed will be very upset when he finds out!"_ Sleep warned her rescuer. She didn't think he'd stolen it, that didn't make sense. After all, Keros and Windy were very loyal to Master Clow, and would never help someone who stole from him. So what was going on here?

Windy bit her lip, hesitant to explain the situation to her younger sibling _"Sleep, he didn't steal it from Master Reed…"_ she started, not sure how to say what needed to be said.

Sleep nodded absently. So if the Wand hadn't been stolen, but hadn't been given to the boy by Master Reed himself…

**"You see, Sleep… Naruto here has the Wand because… well… Clow Reed is… "** Keros stuttered through an explanation himself. Why couldn't they just fight the Clow! That would be much easier then having to explain Clow's death.

Oh sweet Clow! Not stolen, not given… Master Reed not there in person… and now that she thought about it, she hadn't actually felt his magical signature since she awoke! She thought maybe he'd been hiding himself, but that option seemed less and less likely. But that would mean… _"No…"_ whispered, her eyes starting to tear up. _"It's not true… your lying…"_

Windy turned to her companions. Naruto had decided the smart thing to do was keep his mouth shut until spoken to, and Keros was looking everywhere but at Sleep. So she was on her own. Taking a deep breath, she just came out and said it _"Sleep… I'm sorry. Master Reed is gone"_

_"NO!"_ Sleep cried out, her eyes glowing with magic as tears ran like rivers down her face. Around her, her magic spun out of control. Sleeping powder poured like poisonous gas off her frame, rolling across the rooftop. Windy was quick to gather the powder into her Windy Bubble, but the strain on her face was clear.

_"It can't be TRUE! You're telling a lie! Master Reed can't die! He just can't!"_ Sleep sobbed as she fell to her knees, dropping her wand as she covered her face and wept for the lost father figure she had never gotten to say goodbye to.

**"Sleep! You have to calm down, please!"** Keros exclaimed over the sound of Windy vacuuming up the Sleep dust. He looked around nervously, worried that someone was going to see this. And with Erase not around, they would have no one to wipe any memories!

Naruto felt his heart ache as he watched the small sprite cry. This was not some foe that he could vanquish with fists, or some misunderstood spirit he could convince to surrender. This was a girl whose father figure had died while she had slept, and was now overcome with unfathomable sadness. There was really only one thing he could do. "Windy, cover me" he ordered simply.

Windy looked at him questionably, then with alarm as he started to walk towards the sobbing Clow spirit. As much as she wanted to cry out to him for his foolishness, she had an order to fill. With as much concentration as she could muster, she kept the sleeping dust away from her master, pulling it towards her, and compacting it into a (by now quite sizable) ball.

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair! Master Clow had died, and she hadn't gotten to say goodbye. What was she supposed to do now? Master Clow had been everything to her, and with him gone, what was there for her? She supposed she could try and locate her siblings, but no doubt they would be dealing Master Reed's death in their own way… though Windy seemed to be coping better then she expected…

Her thoughts were interrupted when a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. She looked up, her eyes, red from crying, locking with the shining blue of the boy with Master's wand. He held her close, and Sleep felt some warmth and comfort from the contact. He gently rubbed her back, muttering soft 'there theres' as he held her tight. His touch was so gentle, and his words so soft, she couldn't help but think of Master Clow all over again. This is just like something he might have done, were he still alive… Still, it was nice of this boy to comfort her, she certainly needed it. Maybe she and this boy could be friends after all…

After several tense minutes, Sleep's power slowly died down, until finally, it dispersed altogether. Sleep had passed out in Naruto's arms. Windy gave a sigh of relief, letting her winds die down, and allowing the now basketball sized sleep sphere to hit the ground with a thud. She and Keros quietly approached Naruto, who stood cradling Sleep in his arms. Her Master looked at her, a pleading look in his eye "Will she be alright Windy?" he asked softly.

Careful not to disturb her, Windy took Sleep in her own arms. Looking back at her Master she nodded _"Do not worry Master Naruto, me and the others will comfort her as best we can. Though if I may ask, how were you able to comfort her so?"_ she asked.

Naruto blushed slightly under Windy and Keros questioning gaze. "Well" he said, his eyes getting a far off look in them "whenever I was a kid, the old man used to do the same thing to me whenever I was sad." he admitted, memories of a small boy crying at how unfair the world seemed flashing before his eyes "It used to really help me to just know someone was there while I cried it all out. I figured if it worked for me, maybe I could try and be there for her." he said.

Keros just nodded, a smile on his plushy face **"You did good kid. I'm proud of you"** he said **"Now go ahead and Seal her now before someone sees us"** he continued, switching back to his usual bluster. Naruto just nodded, and a moment later, the Sleep card was in his hand. As he pocketed it, he heard the chime of the school bell saying it was time to head back into class. With a sigh that came with the realization that there would be no ramen, he trudged back to class.

As Keros snuggled back into Naruto's hair, he had a thought, a thought which was unknowingly shared with all the Clow Cards that had witnessed Naruto's interaction with Sleep:

Master Clow Reed would have been proud.

**End Chapter 4**

**Huh... that ended a bit heavier then I first thought it would... weird. Oh well, that was Sleep everyone, which brings our hero's Card Count up to Six: **

**Windy, Fly, Rain, Float, Erase, Sleep. **

**I hope you all liked that, even though it was more character heavy then action. Not only did we see that Sasuke, while arrogant as expected, is somewhat off his rocker, we also got to see Sakura and Hinata's perverted side. And before anyone asks... no, the other anime characters will not be featured in this story, I just wanted to throw in some extra teams to break up the different characters thought paragraphs. (although, we never do see those other teams, for all we know, this could be accurate... not likely, but possible!) **

**Anyway, the next chapter will definitely have a fight scene in it, but likely won't be quite as long. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and that maybe you got a couple of laughs out of it. If you did, please leave a review, but no flames. I am still taking suggestions for Naruto's outfit, so feel free to suggest.**

**Finally, if any of you follow my Lantern Chronicles, you should know that Orihime won the poll (11 votes to Hinata's 8), so she'll be up soon. I already have half her one-shot written, and Hinata's will follow about a week later. Since that has been decided, I will be putting up a new poll. Make your voices heard by voting! **

**Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Again, I hope you all liked it, and please review if you did. **

**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 5 - Pass or Fail; Test of the Rising Shadow  
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Until Next Time... _  
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	5. Pass or Fail: Test of the Rising Shadow

**Hello everyone! How are you? I hope this chapter finds you well! Here it is ladies and gentleman, a chapter I know has been greatly anticipated. But before we get into that, let's go over some reviews! **

**1TroublesomeGuy: Thank you, and I like working on this 'new Sasuke'. He's more fun crazy then A-hole Crazy. And thank you for your jokes.  
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**Xeiden: I agree.  
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**bluebeetle: Thank you, and you're certainly right. And I always appreciate suggestions.  
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**Baron von Nobody: Thank you. Yeah, Erase won't always be available, and the times when she is Naruto will generally only use her for one thing (wiping minds). Shadow is definitely here, and I hope you like his personality. He is most certainly not like the other Clow Cards we've seen.  
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**darkWING360: Yeah, last chapter was more character driven then action driven. That changes this chapter. And take heart, Tomoyo will be in this chapter... briefly.  
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**Fan of Fanfics21: Yup, Sasuke & Sakura needed an overhall and I figured, why not. Hope you like this chapter.  
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**Unknown: Glad you liked it. For answers to those questions, you'll just have to read and find out.  
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**Axil 2.0: Thank you, glad you've liked it. Thank you for your kind words, and for your outfit ideas.  
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**Tray-lover2: Glad you're liking it. The anime characters mentioned were just meant to break up the thought paragraphs of the others. Some Naruto filler archs will be covered, but I don't know about some CC arks. Naruto will try and keep this a secret as long as he can.  
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**Imadork: Fly can be summoned in his bird form, yes. Yeah, character bashing is fun up to a point, then it just gets old.  
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**professorchaos: Glad you liked it, and Naruto has been known to suffer from 'Anime Hair Syndrome'. But I guess it just comes with the territory. Sleep was able to identify the wand because, even if it looks different thanks to the Kyubi, it still as the magical feel of the Sealing Wand she knows. That's how she was able to identify it.  
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**jinchuriki sama: Yeah, a lot are expecting so much from the shadow card, that I'm kind of nervous to meet their expectations. And thank you for your jokes.  
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**NivMizzet6977: Glad you liked it.  
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**mrglasgown0body: Glad you like the last chapter, and I hope you like this one.  
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**scarlet spider: Glad you liked it. I believe the summoning thing is mine, because I don't ever recall it being mentioned in the original series.  
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**Animeguy1101: Glad you liked it, and the new version of Sasuke. As for Shadow, fingers crossed people like it!**

**Well, that covers reviews. This chapter will feature a scene with Tomoyo you all asked for so often. It'll be used to explain Naruto's outfits. **

**On Outfits: Naruto will not have the same outfit in every chapter. Like CC, it will change. For major cannon events (bell test, battle on the bridge, ect.) I may use cloths worn by an actual anime character (Like Edward Elric, Black*Star, Ichigo) during other points, he'll wear something suggested by you; the viewer. **

**I know everyone is looking forward to seeing Shadow, and I know I'm curious to see what you all think of my take on him. He is different from the others in many ways (the least of which is that he's a HE). Just so no one gets confused; the encounter with Shadow and the Bell Test are mutually exclusive events. Naruto and the Clow are trying to stay out of the eyes of the other characters (though later chapters will show this doesn't always work). Well, I've yammered on long enough, let's get cracking in this hopefully well received chapter of...**

**Naruto: Card Captor**

**Chapter Five: Pass or Fail; Test of the Rising Shadow  
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_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

After all the 'excitement' he'd had so far today, Naruto was sort of glad to be getting back to the class to meet his sensei. He just hoped Sleep would be okay. She seemed so much younger compared to the other Clow Cards, that he couldn't help but worry about her.

Sasuke and Sakura both made it back to the classroom as well, proving that Sleep's spell had worn off with her now sealed. Both looked a little confused, but nothing too severe, and both were likely to just write off the experience as having fallen asleep while daydreaming.

One by one, their classmates were lead away by their sensei who came to get them. Classmates waved goodbye to each other one last time, unsure if they would be seeing each other again.

Soon, the number of students had dwindled down to the three… Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. After a while, even Iruka left, having his own business to take care of. This left the three teens to sit quietly together, waiting on their sensei.

The only one who could really talk was Sakura, and she was trying to get Saskue's attention. Sasuke was unlikely to break his vow of silence, and Naruto had nothing to say that wouldn't get him punched. And it wasn't like he could talk to Keros with the others in the room. Looks like they were going to be waiting in silence after all… sigh.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Three hours later, and the hate in the air was palpable. But it was not hate for each other that the three teens exuded, oh no. It was for their sensei, who was **STILL. ABSENT. **Even the normally calm Sasuke felt his hands twitching to strangle the man who would dare to make him wait when he could be training!

Only Sakura could still claim to be in a moderate good mood. That was because she'd gotten to spend all this time doing one of the things she was good at: staring at Sasuke. Was it a useful skill? Arguably, no. Did it make Sasuke uncomfortable? Maybe, but that was only because he didn't realize how much she loved him yet, and she was sure that if she just stared long and hard enough, he was would eventually… you know, that was a really unhealthy way of thinking. Seriously, this was stalker behavior, she couldn't seriously act this way towards a person… where was her sensei when she needed him!

Naruto grunted in annoyance. He would have loved to set up a prank for his sensei, but stupid Keros wouldn't let him. Now Keros loved a prank as much as the next guy, but he figured, when meeting the person who would be responsible for making sure you were properly trained for the future, it was best to make a good first impression.

And so the three waited. And waited. And waited…

Kakashi Hatake didn't like the idea of having to be a sensei. He'd been assigned many teams over the years, and none of them had ever passed his basic test. But this group was different. Two of the three were connected to him personally. One was a member of the family from which he got the eye that helped make him famous. The other was the son of the man who had been like a father to him when his own father had committed suicide.

He wouldn't treat them any differently, but now he was actually hoping they would pass his test.

As was his custom, he did a little research on his possible trainees (he wasn't sure the others did this, as it wasn't the sort of thing one openly talked about). He did this by breaking into their homes while no one was around to see him. Normally this was difficult, especially when the candidate was from a clan, but this year it was surprisingly easy.

The girl's home was neat, tidy, but lacked any sign that a possible ninja lived there. No scrolls containing training regiments, no extra shuriken, nothing. While this was not uncommon in civilian homes, he would have expected something in the girls room at least. Instead all he found were diaries filled with dreams that would not have been out of place in one of his precious novels.

The Uchiha's home was also neat, which was a slight surprise. He figured a boy living on his own wouldn't care much for cleanliness, but it seemed he was wrong. It showed clear signs ninja-use however, if the large stack of training supplies was any indication. On a more personal note, he saw that Sasuke only owned two types of books: incredibly far out fictional books, and journals filled with a semi-legible scrawl detailing Sasuke's personal thoughts on one Itachi Uchiha. Some of the entries were rather enlightened, as Sasuke discussed the possibility that his desire for vengeance might be detrimental to his overall health. Others were the downright frightening ravings of a madman hell bent on causing as much suffering as possible. Thankfully, those were few and far between.

Lastly was the home of his Sensei's son. Naruto lived like one might expect a boy of his age to, and his home was not particularly clean like the first two had been. Given credit though, it wasn't as bad as he had thought. Naruto didn't own a lot of training equipment, but it was all very well taken care of. That was good, a shinobi needed to know how to properly maintain equipment in case they were forced to go long periods without getting new material. Naruto only seemed to own the most basic of scrolls, and they were all worn from years of use. If the boy passed, he'd have to see about getting him some new material. He didn't own any books, except one, and it turned out it wasn't really a book. It looked like one, but had been hollowed out on the inside, as though it was meant to store something. At the moment, it was empty. But the most prized possession in the boys house were probably the photos on his mantle: A picture of the boy and Iruka Umino, and a picture of him and the Hokage, eating at Ichiraku. Both were framed, and no dust had touched them. Clearly, those meant a lot to the boy.

Those visits had told him somethings about their psychological make up, but there was nothing quite like talking to the real thing. Putting on his patented eye smile, he opened the door. Right away he felt a minor killing intent from the occupants, but ignored it with practiced ease. After briefly looking them over, he gave them another eye-smile and said "My first impression of you… you're all idiots. Meet me on the roof in ten minutes." and with that he closed the door and then teleported to his destination. God he loved messing with new recruits.

Behind the door, four sets of eyes twitched in irritation. And everyone was beginning to wonder what the charge was for assaulting a jounin…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Ten minutes later three annoyed genin and one jounin sat on the roof of the academy. Kakashi just kept eye-smiling at them, even as they trudged in, somehow managing to see them perfectly, despite having one eye closed and the other covered.

To his left, was Sasuke, with Sakura naturally sitting right next to him in the center position, with Naruto on his right. Once they were settled, he clapped his hands, getting their attention. "Alright now, let's get started" he said. "Why don't we start by getting to know each other?" he suggested with a friendly tone "You, Pinkie, why don't you go first?" he said, pointing at Sakura.

Sakura blinked, surprised at being put on the spot like that. "Um… what do you want us to say?" she asked.

Kakashi shrugged "Oh you know, the basics… things you like, things you hate, your hobbies, and your dreams for the future. That should suffice as a basic introduction don't you think?"

The three genin exchanged looks with each other "So why don't you go first sensei, show us how it's done?" said Sakura.

Inwardly, Kakashi chuckled; it was cute the way they were trying to get information out of him. Putting on his best 'thinking face' he started "Oh well…my name is Kakashi Hatake. There are indeed things I like… and things I hate. Dreams for the future… never really thought about it. Hobbies… I have lots of hobbies." he said, finishing his introduction like it was the most brilliant thesis in the world. The looks it got from his possible students was nearly too much.

_"All we learned about him was his name!" _the four thought furiously as they stared at the calm jounin.

"Now then, I believe Pinkie is up next" Kakashi said, pointing at Sakura. Sakura frowned at him; she hated it when people called her Pinkie.

"My name is Sakura Haruno" she started, but then stopped. Her first instinct was to say she liked Sasuke, hated Naruto and Ino, and her hobbies… she mentally blushed at admitting either her hobbies or her dreams to her male teammates. She couldn't say those things though! For one, it wasn't very professional, which she technically was supposed to be now. Two, it would be kind of rude to Naruto, who despite being annoying, hadn't bugged her as much as he had before graduation. If he could grow up, so should she.

But if that was the case, what could she say? What defined her outside her lust for Sasuke and her dislike of Naruto and Ino? Was she truly so shallow a human being as to have no other identifiable characteristics? There had to be something… oh…. um…

"I-I like writing!" she said, finally coming up with something. Thankfully her discussion had only been in her head, and hadn't taken as long in the real world "and taking care of flowers… I suppose" she said, trying to think of anything that defined her outside of Sasuke. "I dislike…" again, it took a lot of will power not to say 'Naruto' "bullies" she finally decided on, remembering her childhood years before Ino, when she was tormented by bullies. "My hobbies… I've always like reading. My dreams for the future… to find true love." there, nothing wrong with that last one. It was a dream for the future right? Nothing wrong with that being Sasuke-centric.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. It was clear the girl had given it a lot of thought. He had to admit, he was glad it wasn't as fangirlish as he had first feared. Turning his gaze, he looked at the last Uchiha "Okay, that was a good start, how about you emo-duck boy?" he suggested, much to the chagrin of Sakura and the amusement of Naruto (and secretly Keros).

Sasuke stomped down an eyebrow twitch "_Emo! I am not an emo Kami dammit! I'll kill you, you son of a… no, breath Sasuke… love and tolerate… Uchiha pride at stake, just push those feelings down deep…. there we go"_

His verbal response? "Hn" Eloquent as always Sasuke. "My name… is Sasuke Uchiha" he started, making sure to pause for dramatic effect, as was custom for Uchiha "I like training, and planning" he said, though he left out exactly he like planning. It was probably best he didn't tell them. "I dislike needless distractions that waste my time. My hobbies are training and wa-weapons" he cut himself off. He couldn't tell them he enjoyed watching television, that was far to mundane for an Uchiha. Let them think he loved weapons… that was ninja friendly, thus normal, hobby for any self-respecting shinobi to have. "My dreams for the future… I don't have one. I have… an ambition. And my ambition… is to kill a man." yes Itachi, your death would come when you least expect it… "then, when that man is dead, I will rebuild my clan, and raise it to greatness again. " yes, the Uchiha clan would, like a majestic phoenix, rise from the ashes anew, more powerful and more wonderful then ever!

Kakashi nodded again, not knowing or caring about the Uchiha's internal monologue. Sasuke was clearly a very career oriented person, who didn't seem to care much about pursuits outside of shinobi-ship. He was sure the boy knew how to have fun, he'd just have to put the boy in situations where he showed that side of himself more often… that is, if the team passed.

Turning to the last member he said "You know what to do now blonde, let's here it."

Naruto nodded, ready to go. Like Sakura, he had decided he should try and come up with an answer that really told who he was. As tempting as it was to answer every question with 'Ramen', he somehow doubted that would make his new teammates respect him, or make his new sensei take him seriously.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" he started with his usual enthusiasm. "My dream for the future is to become Hokage!" he shouted, making Sasuke and Sakura roll there eyes. How many times had they heard that one before "I also plan on gathering up as many friends as I can!" he continued, surprising his teammates. That was new. It was dream born from his desire to help Keros gather all the Clow Cards. But he wouldn't do it out of obligation, he did it because each new Clow Card was a new friend, and that was worth far more then the power they offered.

"My hobbies are training and… collecting things I guess" Keros would probably say that gathering the Clow was **not **a hobby, but an important duty. "My dislikes… bullies I guess, and waiting… I'm not very patient" he said, his face scrunching up in his foxy-thinking pose.

"My likes are…" he thought of Keros, one of the few people who took him completely seriously outside of the old man or Iruka, but who could also be with him on a regular basis

"lions"

he thought of Windy, and her kind helpfulness.

"gentle breezes"

he thought of the exhilaration he'd felt when he'd flown through the air thanks to Fly.

"birds"

he thought of Rain, and the way he was slowly winning her over. Hopefully once he did, the two of them could go pranking together.

"the pitter patter of rain"

the weightless feeling Float had given him

"balloons"

the look on Erase's face when he'd kept his promise to her

"clowns"

and he thought of the tiny fairy who had only really needed someone's shoulder to cry on

"and a good nap" he finished, opening his eyes. He saw that everyone was staring at him. Kakashi blinked, not expecting the blonde to be so… that. From his file, he had expected the part about being Hokage (heck, everyone in the village could have told you that.) but the rest was completely out there. Ah well, that just meant the boy was deeper then expected, which wasn't a bad thing.

"Well, now that we all know each other" Kakashi said, ignoring the grumbles about how they still knew so little about him "let's talk about your next test"

"But… I thought we'd finished taking tests" Sakura said, sounding confused. Kakashi chuckled, a dark sound that made his possible students shudder.

"Oh no… that was just to weed out the weaker candidates, the true test though…" he proceeded to give them the run down: of the students that had passed, many would be cut out in the next test, which had about a 66% failure rate. Once his students were suitably stunned by the news, he told them to meet him at training ground seven the next day at seven a.m. sharp (of course, he would sleep in and not show up until around ten). "Oh, and before I forget, make sure not to eat anything. You'll just throw it up."

And with that cheerful little warning, he teleported away, off to by more smutty books and face masks.

The three blinked at the sudden dismissal, still shaken by the idea of having to take another test tomorrow. Still, Sasuke and Naruto were both certain they would pass. Sasuke because of his skills, and Naruto because of both his skills, and the Clow. Sakura though…. was very nervous.

With nary a passing farewell comment, the three broke off and went there own way. Sasuke to the training grounds, Sakura to her home, and Naruto to the shopping district. Sadly, Keros remembered they needed new cloths, and was going to make Naruto (gulp) shop!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

It had taken awhile, but eventually the two had found their destination. Near the end of the shopping district, in what was clearly a new store was a place called: Daidoji's Fashion. Subtle. The two entered and were surprised to find the spacious clothing store relatively empty. There were some people there, but no more then a handful.

"Welcome! How may I help you today" Naruto turned and came face to face with a girl that looked to be the same age he was. Her hair was long and black, and she had violet eyes. She was wearing a simple white sundress, with a name tag depicting: Tomoyo Daidoji on it.

"I am Tomoyo Daidoji" the girl introduced herself "and this is my clothing shop"

"You own your own clothing shop?" Naruto asked, not sure if he should be surprised or impressed.

Tomoyo giggled "Well actually its my mother's shop, but she's away right now, so I'm in charge. But enough about me, you're here for a new wardrobe am I correct?" she said, switching into salesman mode.

Naruto nodded and explained his situation to Tomoyo. When she heard he planned on buying multiple pairs of the same outfit to wear everyday, she looked ready to burst into tears "Bu-but you can't do that!" she exclaimed "wearing the same thing everyday… when there are so many special outfits to chose from… unacceptable!" her eyes alighted with a passionate fire, and she grabbed him by the arm. "Come with me, you must be… reeducated" Naruto wasn't sure why, but for some reason he started crying as he was dragged off.

**Several Hours Later… **

Eventually, Naruto did get out of the store, his arms laden with shopping bags, all of them containing various outfits or one type or another. Formal wear, informal wear, battle gear, stealth cloths, armor, you name it. It was like Tomoyo was determined to make him buy as many varieties of cloths as possible.

Thankfully, Tomoyo had the decency to offer him a heavy discount for all the cloths she was making him buy, so his frog wallet wasn't completely empty when he left (just mostly empty).

"Bye! Come back again real soon Naruto!" Tomoyo called from the doorway. Naruto forced a smile and waved back before hustling back home. While he wouldn't be against seeing the strange girl again, he could only hope it wasn't for a while.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

This village was… disgusting. He had only been manifested for a few short hours and he already wished he was back in the book. Okay, that was a slight exaggeration, but he felt it fitting. Nothing was at all like he remembered it being before Master Clow put them away for the long sleep. And while some change was bound to be good, the change that had apparently taken place in his absence certainly didn't feel like it.

For one thing, chakra was certainly more prevalent now then it had been so long ago. Apparently more people had mastered it now then people had magic in his era. That… upset him somewhat. He couldn't steal the shadows of people with chakra. He'd tried. Repeatedly. It just wouldn't mesh with his magic, and he couldn't absorb them the way he could with non-chakra beings. The first time he had tried, he'd ended up burned and feeling physically sick. Thankfully the human he was trying to steal from was distracted, so he didn't even notice.

At first he had worried he'd lost his powers, but he'd tried a different human and their shadow came away easily. He could still control shadows too, and bend them to his will. After some trial and error, he'd concluded that only living entities with chakra could not have their shadows taken. Fine, he supposed he could work with that, after all, how many people could have chakra in this time period anyway?

He had to admit, despite the creation of 'electricity', he'd thought the future would have accomplished more. Where were the institutes for higher learning of magic? Why was there still clear evidence of hunger, crime, and the like? He had hoped that with the knowledge Master Clow and other great mages surely left behind, future wizards should have been able to put aside their differences and fix some of these problems.

That was another thing: where were all the mages? He hadn't seen one person do magic the entire time he'd been here. He'd seen plenty of use of the disgusting chakra substance, but no magic users.

After hours of searching (and a few shadows stolen along the way) he arrived at the Konoha library. Surely this would tell him what was going on. This would provide adequate answers to his questions.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto yawned as he walked onto the training field the next day. Both he and Keros agreed: getting up early sucked! The sun had barely begun its march into the sky, and here they were getting ready to take a test.

This was made even worse by the straining activity he'd done with Erase that morning… no not that you perverts! Through Keros' suggestions and teachings, he'd found that by focusing incredibly hard on the Sealing Wand when summoning a Clow, he could control how much power that card got. Keros first plan had been to suggest not summoning Erase at all, but Naruto rejected that for two reasons: One, he was not going to back out on a promise. Ever. Two, he felt that having such a powerful card on his side while he took a test might be a bit of a deal breaker.

That wasn't to say he wasn't going to take the other cards with him. He wasn't a total idiot.

In a bizarre coincidence, he had arrived at the exact same time as his teammates. Neither of them looked particularly happy to be there, though Sasuke somehow managed to make himself look as cold and distant as he usually did.

Sakura was certain she was up to early. Sure she had managed to make herself presentable for her team (mostly Sasuke), but she was clearly sleep deprived. Why, if she didn't know better, she would swear she could hear snoring coming from Naruto's hair!

At least he looked rather presentable today. She wondered if he'd finally gotten rid of that horrible orange jumpsuit. His cloths today consisted of a simple black muscle shirt and black pants. He had on a pair of black shoes instead of the usual sandals. Over the whole thing he wore a large red overcoat, which went down to his wrists. His hands were covered up by a pair of white gloves. **(It's Edward Elric's normal clothing). **

The three of them exchanged good morning 'hns' before sitting down by the three training logs to wait. And they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited…

And KAMI DAMMIT WHERE WAS KAKSHI-SENSEI!

Seriously! He was going to keep them waiting, again! Who did that?

Then, as though summoned by their hate, Kakashi appeared in a poof of smoke. "Hello everyone! How are you all this fine morning?" he asked with his damn condescending eye-smile.

His response was a growl from Naruto, a few shouted expletives from Sakura, and an annoyed stare from Sasuke _'Good, nobody noticed I fell asleep… curse you sensei for making an Uchiha get up so early, then wait!' _Sasuke cursed mentally.

"Glad to see you're all so energized this morning. You'll need that later." Kakashi said, taking out a clock, setting it for three hours and placing it on a nearby stump. He then took out a pair of tiny silver bells, and tied them to his belt. "Now then, let me explain the rules of this test" he said, his demeanor switching to serious so quickly the poor genin got whiplash.

"I have here two bells. Your mission is to get those bells before this timer goes off in three hours." Kakashi stated.

"Um… but sensei, there are three of us, and only three bells." Sakura said, stating the obvious. This only made Kakashi chuckle; a sound which the three genin (and one lion plush) found oddly disturbing.

"That's right Sakura. That means that only two of you can pass this test. The one of you who doesn't get the bell will be sent back to the academy." Kakashi said, making the three kids stiffen. Keros, however, raised and eyebrow, feeling that something was amiss. "That same person will also be tied to one of the training poles, and watch as I eat their lunch in front of them." Kakashi said, as in a poof he was holding three bento lunch boxes.

The three genin twitched as their stomaches rumbled, collectively cursing their sensei for tricking them into not eating lunch.

"Don't worry though, its possible that none of you will pass." Kakashi said as though it was the nicest thing in the world. He put the lunch boxes on a raised platform next to some kind of stone, before turning back to his students "Now then, the rules. Rule one: There are no rules. If you want to win, you had better come at me with the intent to kill. Otherwise, you'll never beat me." Kakashi said, making the three gulp. Keros was racking his brain, sure their was more to his charges test then he was seeing.

Kakashi walked over and started the timer. "Now then, are you ready? Then… GO!" and with that single word, the test was on!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

While Naruto's first instinct would have been to charge directly at his Sensei, his time hunting Clow Cards had made him a bit leery of that approach. Therefore, he had sent a few clones to hide in nearby trees to keep an eye on Sensei, while he was a bit farther away, talking things out with his team. The Clow Card team, not the fleshy emo/fangirl team.

Holding the Sealing Wand in front of him, Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated. _'Everyone ready to kick some ass?' _he ask mentally while focusing on the wand.

_**'Ready!' **_came the response of his Clow Cards (at least, the ones who could talk. Those that couldn't sort of sent an affirmative feeling at him).

He had been surprised to discover, that he could actually stick Clow Cards into the slot on the Sealing Wand. When he did, one of the things he could do with them was speak to them telekinetically. He could also summon the cards inside the wand by saying the words in his mind, as opposed to shouting out loud. The Clow had been generally pleased by this, except for Rain, who complained she'd never get a moments rest now with him gabbing at her all the time. She was quickly shushed by Sleep and Erase.

It also made summoning mid-battle a bit easier, via a set of switches on the side of the wand. The purpose seemed to be to eliminate the need to carry a large stack of cards around with him.

The Top Button had the characters: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark inscribed on them. However, only the Windy was lit up fully. He could make out what the other characters said, but they were otherwise dark.

The Bottom Button had numbers ranging from one to eight on it, which he could scroll through. When he put in the Windy card, the number one lit up, but only when the top button was Wind. If he changed it to Fire, the number went dark.

Keros explained that the characters on the top button were the four elements and two attributes under which all other cards fell. Windy was one such element, thus why she was number one. Naruto figured that meant that if he was able to capture the other elements and attributes, those characters would light up too.

After loading up the rest of the cards, Naruto found that Fly and Float caused **Wind 2 **and **3 **to light up, because they both fell under Windy. Rain was under Watery, and made **Water 2** light up. Naruto noticed that while having Rain in the Wand made the outline of the Water character glow, it wasn't as bright as the Wind character, indicating that the glow wouldn't be complete until he tracked down the Watery card. The same was true of Erase and Sleep, who fell under Dark, thus making **Dark 2 **and **3** light up.

Once the right combination of buttons was lined up (**Wind 1** for example), pressing both buttons at the same time (which thankfully was easy to do) would summon that Clow Spirit. Not only that, but it gave the Wand quite an upgrade, as depending on who he summoned could result in different things happening.

This, combined with the telepathy the wand granted him, meant that the only thing he had to do verbally was dismiss the cards!

However, one major downside that Keros pointed out was that, while the new feature did cut down on the risk of dropping the cards in mid combat, it opened up an entirely new avenue for losing them. If Naruto wanted to remove a card from the wand, he had to hold the wand and will it out (Keros had been in a panic the first time he'd put in a card and not known that). That meant, that if he lost the Summoning Wand, he wouldn't be able to use the Cards inside. And if someone were to **take **the Sealing Wand… both he and Keros had shuddered at the implication. Thusly, they had decided they would only load up the Wand with cards if they knew they were going to be in a combat situation. Since he didn't know what to expect with his test today, he'd brought everyone except Erase.

It was possible the Sealing Wand had other powers, but for now they had yet to be revealed.

Summoning Windy, he watched as the elemental took on a semi-invisible form and took off after a batch of Clones he'd just summoned to attack Kakashi. While the clones assaulted his teacher, she'd be looking for the opportunity to attack.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Kakashi sighed, placing a bookmark in his book. He had thought that at least one of his students would have attacked him by now. Naruto at the very least, given his history as a trouble maker. But apparently the boy actually **did** know the definition of restraint. Therefore, he'd have to take matters into his own hands.

Going by the old proverb of 'ladies first', he'd gone after Sakura first. Since her report said she was exceptionally intelligent, he figured that a good test for her might be a bit of Genjutsu.

He'd appeared right behind her (to her credit, she was hiding her chakra signature very well), mostly because couldn't resist startling her. Then, before she could punch him in the face, he cast the illusion. He stood back, waiting for her to break it… for three minutes. Then, she screamed at the top of her lungs, and keeled over unconscious. Kakashi had to stop himself from sweatdropping; this was the best of the Academy? Geez…

A rustling in the bushes to his left drew his attention. A second later a wall of Narutos burst forth and charged him. Each had a Kunai drawn, making an imposing wall of steel.

Kakashi sighed at this predictable approach. He'd have to show Naruto that not everything could be solved so bluntly- Kakashi's thought was cut off as something hard slammed into his back with the force of a freight train, sending him flying towards the wall of pointy pain. He recovered quickly, turning his impromptu fight into a spinning kick which tore through the Narutos, quickly reducing their numbers. As he landed he looked behind him, but saw nothing but some rustling bushes. As he saw the eyes of the Narutos crinkle and their lips twist into smirk, he knew they had had something to do with it. But what was it? It felt like a wind technique, but none of the files said anything about the three genin knowing such a thing…

He quickly caught the shuriken the clones tossed and returned fire, destroying their owners. Then, he dashed into the brambles to find… nothing.

Windy grinned above the silver haired man. He was good, she'd give him that, but there was no way he was going to find her if she didn't want him to. Clenching her fist, she swung her arm in his direction, already directing a gale force wind.

Kakashi turned a split second before the wind hit. He had just enough time to brace himself before he was hurled through the undergrowth. Thankfully, he was able to land on his feet. Whoever was doing that, it wasn't much of a plan. The wind didn't do him nearly enough harm to be effective, so it was really on good as a distrac-

Lashing out, he caught the arm that was swinging at him and tossed the body over his shoulder. The body twirled in midair, landing perfectly on its feet. Kakashi finally got a good look at his attacker, and saw it was Naruto. But this Naruto, unlike the others, wasn't armed with kunai and shuriken. No, this one had a staff. A strange red staff with what looked like the head of the Kyubi on top. Kakashi had to raise an eyebrow at that. Whoever had made that must have very poor taste. But what was Naruto doing with it?

Naruto twirled the staff and came at him, swinging and stabbing at him like a barbarian. Clearly he hadn't had the staff long; and he certainly didn't know any proper staff techniques (bo-jutsu).

Naruto grunted in frustration as another jab was easily avoided. Every move he made was easily outmaneuvered or dodged. He'd removed his trench coat for an increased range of motion (he'd given it to a clone to look after so he could where it home). Tomoyo had said he looked good in the coat, and practically forced him to buy it, saying the ensemble was nothing without it.

He had thought his clones and Windy would have tired sensei out by now! That was the only reason he had revealed himself; and it was clear that was mistake.

He stabbed at his sensei's head, only for Kakashi to grab it and hold it tight, preventing him from pulling back. Kakashi looked down at him, nonplussed by his moves "While I will admit I do admire your spirit for facing me head on this time, you really should have stuck with the clones." Kakashi said in a semi-bored tone perfected over years of ignoring Gai. "Also, if your going to use a weapon in a fight against a more experienced fighter, perhaps you should actually know how to use it." he drawled, casting a lazy eye over the thing. Whoever had made it could certainly be applauded for their work.

Naruto suddenly grinned as an idea popped into his head, catching Kakashi's attention "Oh… I do know how to use this staff sensei. I know it inside…" he quickly moved his fingers over the buttons and channeled chakra into the Windy symbol "and OUT!" he released his hold on the chakra as he pressed the buttons.

They Kyubi's eyes flashed yellow as the mouth popped open with a feint click. From the mouth shot a concentrated burst of Windy's magic, striking Kakashi right in face and knocking him back through the air.

Naruto's grin went from ear to ear. That blow would surely knock sensei out, or at least knock him flat on his ass!

But just as Kakashi started to fall earthward, he suddenly burst into smoke, leaving a log in his place. Naruto stared dumbfounded. Sensei had gotten away! He couldn't believe it! Where had he… wait… was that a **Bell **on the ground!

He could hardly believe his luck! Sensei must have dropped it without noticing! Now he could take the bell without even having to fight for it! This was amazing, what were the odds… wait. What were the odds?

Naruto looked closer and sure enough, he could see the wire to the trap. He smirked, he couldn't believe he had nearly fallen for that! He'd forgive himself, given the excitement of battling his teacher one on one, but he'd have to be more careful.

"I'm not falling for it sensei! Why don't you come out and face me!" he shouted, holding his staff at the ready.

"No need to shout. And you really shouldn't let your enemies get behind you Naruto." Kakashi said simply, having appeared behind Naruto without him noticing. Naruto startled, but before he could turn around, a chop to the neck knocked him unconscious. He fell forward, and only Kakashi catching him by the back of his shirt kept him from falling on his nose.

Kakashi looked down at his student. He had to say he had presented a better challenge then Sakura had. And he seemed to know how to utilized teamwork, given how the clones had acted. Now if only he could do the same with his **actual **teammates, they might have something here.

There was also the matter of that staff. What was it, and where did it come from? How could it shoot concentrated air like that? He reached down for a closer examination… when a strange feeling washed over him…

Didn't he have another student to test? Oh! That's right, he need to test the Uchiha next. Hopefully he would prove to be at least as skilled as Naruto had been. Though sadly, since he didn't seem to grasp the hidden lesson in the test, it was unlikely he would pass him or the other two, regardless of how skilled. Oh well, them's the breaks. He shushined off to find Sasuke, leaving Naruto alone.

Sort of. Keros popped out of Naruto's hair, and quickly went about trying to revive him with the help of Windy who had just entered the clearing. She hadn't been able to help directly lest she risk the sensei realizing she was there. Plus she thought Master Naruto might want to try and test himself against his teacher, as opposed to one of his clones or the Clow.

Keros though was more curious about the Sealing Wand. The man had clearly seen it, and a portion of what it could do. Even if he thought it was only a trick staff, why had he not picked it up? What had compelled him to suddenly abandon the wand and leave?

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Shadow shook as he stood in the middle of an Konoha library. He had been here for hours now, constantly hidden, always just out of sight of the mortals. He had looked through all of the reference books and history books, wanting to learn what had happened in the eons since he had entered the long sleep.

Suffice to say, he was not happy with what he had found.

Myth. That was all magic was to these people. The thing so many had studied years to understand, was now synonymous with the parlor tricks of children's entertainers. Nothing more then entertaining stories that weren't to be taken seriously. What was worse, he and his family and creator didn't even appear in these legends. There was absolutely no reference to Master Clow Reed or the Clow Cards at all!

That made him very… sad. Master Clow Reed was a great man who had worked hard for the people around him. He could have used his powers for his own benefit, but had instead chosen to dedicate his life to the service of the people. The man had saved lives, made amazing discoveries about the nature of the universe, even. Halls of learning had studied him and his methods, his image adorned a variety of artwork, and songs were written in his honor! To see a man who had loved the world so much, and been so loved in return, forgotten so completely and utterly, filled Shadow with a deep sadness.

So what had happened?

As far as he could tell, modern history really only went as far back as the advent of the modern energy called 'chakra'. A man known as the Six-Path Sage seemed to be a lesser equivalent to Master Clow, though there wasn't much on him. He had apparently been able to defeat some sort of massive ten-tailed Demon; an impressive feat even by the standards of Master Clow Reed's age. From there, it looked like the Sage had spread the word and methodology of Chakra, until nearly all people knew of it. And somehow in the equation, the old ways of magic were forgotten.

Shadow would have frowned if he had the facial capacity. He felt there was probably more to it then that, but the library had given him all it could. Which left him with the big question: What now? Yes it was a tragedy that Master Clow Reed had been forgotten, but change was the way of the world. And if the world had truly changed for the better by embracing this thing called 'chakra', that was simply the way it should be.

Then again… this 'ninja' society had apparently had quiet a few conflicts since the advent of chakra. From world wars, to the diabolical bloodline purges in a place called 'Kiri', this world seemed far more violent then the one he had left behind. But maybe he was judging to harshly… after all, no place is perfect; and he was sure the ninja were doing the best they could to promote peace between villages.

Still… this would require further investigation. According to his study, ninja files were deemed classified, and were stored in the Hokage Tower. The building was meant to be heavily fortified and very secure. Shadow gave what might be the equivalent to smirk. He somehow doubted the ninja's ability to keep him out, if he really wanted to get in.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke frowned, a look that was quite common on his face. He knew he'd have to engage his sensei soon, and he found himself without a solid plan. He had to pass, it was his destiny to bring about the rebirth of the Uchiha clan; a stupid test should not be such a problem.

And yet he knew his sensei was no joke. He had watched as the hordes of Naruto clones swarmed the forest, trying to take the man down through sheer numbers alone. The man had barely batted an eyelid against the clone horde.

Speaking of which, since when could Naruto do that? And the weird Wind that struck from nowhere, where had that come from? Was that the dobe? He supposed it was possible, given that he himself knew several high powered fire techniques… now there was an idea! Maybe with his fire and Naruto's wind, they could create some sort of combo that would-NO! He was an Uchiha! An elite! He did not need the help of some dead last trash… yet he knew it would be easier then working with Sakura. As far as he knew she had no real skills (though he had thought the same of Naruto until a moment ago). She had also been the first person taken out; if the piercing scream was any indication. Such a weakling… and she wanted to marry him? Why couldn't any of his fan-girls at least be competent? Was that to much to ask?

Wait… dammit! He was inner-monologuing again!

Sasuke came back to reality just as Kakashi appeared in the clearing. Good… hopefully his sensei hadn't seen him staring off into space like that. It's ok, just play cool… act like you could totally sense him… now finish with that Uchiha smirk and… nailed it

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as his last would be student turned to face him, a smirk playing about his lips. Kakashi resisted rolling his visible eye. He sincerely hoped Sasuke didn't suffer from the typical Uchiha arrogance.

"Are you ready to begin Sasuke?" he asked lightly, hands in his pockets, looking as though he had been taking a stroll.

Sasuke turned to face Kakashi, hands by his sides, clenched. "I am. You should know… I'm not like the other two." he said, bracing his muscles.

Kakashi eye smiled "You can say that **after **you manage to get a bell. If you manage that is."

And like a bell in a boxing match, they were off, Sasuke letting lose a flurry of punches, all of which were effortlessly blocked by Kakashi.

"Is that all you've got? I would have expected better from the 'almighty' Uchiha" Kakashi taunted, leaping over a leg sweep and catching the shuriken tossed his way.

"I'm not done yet!" Sasuke screamed, performing a flying jump kick. Sadly, Kakashi caught the kick long before it reached his head. "How about this!" Sasuke said, throwing a punch at Kakashi while the man still held his leg. Kakashi caught that with his other hand. Sasuke hid a smirk as he let loss another kick.

Kakashi instinctively let go of his hand to catch the other leg, allowing Sasuke to bend over to grab the bells. Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized the boy's plan. While he had to hand it to the kid for having a decent plan, he wasn't about to lose the test now, and especially not before his students had learned the lesson of teamwork (if they were ever going to learn it). So with a shove, Sasuke was sent flying.

Not to be deterred, Sasuke was already readying his chakra mid flight. As he landed, he ended his jutsu, Kakashi saw the final hand sign.

_'No way! A genin shouldn't have enough chakra for fire jutsu!' _He thought as Sasuke took a deep breath.

As he exhaled, Sasuke watched with joy as the beautiful fire covered the field, burning the ground and heating the air.

'Hmm…. that should injure him enough for me to gain a bell now' the rational part of his mind stated.

_'WHOOOOO! That Clone Jutsu of Naruto's can suck it! My fireballs rule!' _Uchiha Ego said, patting itself on the back.

**'Oh dear… that may have been a bit much! What if we really hurt him? Oh why did we have to set Sensei on fire? Couldn't we have just asked nicely? I bet he would have done it if we said please….' **Sasuke's inner child/wuss asked, tears in its imaginary eyes.

_**'Yes! Yes! Kill it with fire! Kill them all with fire! Purify the world with its majesty! MWHAHAHAHA!' **_Laughed Sasuke's… the others weren't sure; but Sasuke was beginning to think he may have serious mental problems, and perhaps he should see a doctor soon…

Soon the fire cleared, revealing… nothing. Nothing was there! Not even a body lying at the bottom of the smoking hole! Sasuke was good, but he wasn't sure he was **that **good (though come to think of it… this may be a sign that he really was that good!)

Something grabbed Sasuke by the ankles. With a jerk, Sasuke was pulled through the ground like it was thick pudding, until only his head showed.

Kakashi rose from the ground like a ghost, smiling that damn smile of his down at Sasuke's head. "Well, that was fun!" he said cheerfully "and your right, you're not like the other two. Though I wouldn't say that you're really any better either." Kakashi continued, reaching into his weapons pouch.

Turning to walk away, Kakashi pulled out a little orange book "Well, if you manage to get out of that hole, you're welcome to try again!" he yelled back with a wave, before disappearing into the forest.

Sasuke frowned, unable to escape from the hole. He couldn't move a single inch! "How am I going to get out of this?" he whispered, trying desperately to think of a solution.

Collectively, the many voices in his head turned to each other… and shrugged.

Sasuke sighed, his eyebrow twitching "Well fu-"

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Inside the archives vault, the most secure room in all of Konoha, containing all of its darkest, dirtiest secrets, stood Shadow. While nearly impossible for a shinobi to enter, for someone like him, it was child's play.

Shadow's shoulders shuddered as he tried not to scream in horror. What was this? What was this horrible nightmare he had stumbled into?

These Ninja… how could this have happened? How had people like this inherited the Earth? After all the literature he had read in the public library, he had assumed them to be akin to a modern day wizard, only with different source energy. But… that was certainly not the case!

Ninja were not the height of honor legends portrayed them as. They were not heroes who constantly went on missions saving damsels in distress, rescuing the weak, and helping the downtrodden. Those were only the beliefs of those who knew nothing of the ninja world; of children who didn't know any better when they signed up for the Academy. They believed they were going to join a life of fun and adventure, when the true reality was far more daunting.

While there were indeed the missions which required a noblewoman to be rescued, there were just as many requiring the ninja to kidnap said noble. Every mission that brought someone aid, was another that brought someone strife.

A brother killed so the other can inherit the family business.

Family feuds which spin out of control resulting in dozens slaughtered.

Toddlers smothered in their cribs to prevent them from growing up to take over positions of power.

The list was endless, and that was only what the ninja did for money. The things they did for free was even worse!

The village of the mist slaughtered those baring bloodlines, wiping out entire families, and committing genocide on such a massive scale as to be the stuff of nightmares…

The village of the clouds doing the opposite, and abducting anyone with a bloodline, and forcefully breeding them like cattle to be integrated into their fighting force.

And this village… the village of the leaves… they had massacred an entire family, because a few of them had been planning rebellion. While he could almost understand trying to prevent a civil war, the measures they took were beyond extreme. Only two survivors of said clan were left: a young boy, and the murderer; the boy's own brother.

Shadow was disgusted! How had society degraded so far since his Master's passing? How could the shinobi live with themselves, knowing the sins they were committing? And was this even the worst of it? Could it have gotten worse?

It could.

He had found it; a sacred scroll. Unknown to Shadow, after Naruto had managed to steal the thing with little to no effort, it had been placed in the vault, where it was thought no one would open it again. Except Shadow that is, who found himself curious what the ninja's would consider so depraved as to seal it away in this vault where they kept their greatest secrets.

Necromancy?

Were these people mad? Who could have taken such leave of their senses as to invent a technique to disturb the dead? Frankly he was surprised this was even forbidden. With everything else the ninjas did, he was surprised a little grave robbing was considered a taboo.

And… no… a demonic binding spell? Summoning the lord of death, for the purposes of binding an unholy abomination to an **infant**?

It was official, these people were beyond depraved. He didn't care if it was forbidden, the people here had practiced necromancy and consorted with the Grim Reaper to bind a DEMON of all things! And that was just this village! Clow Reed knows what would happen if he were to examine the dirty laundry of the others…

He had to do something. He could not allow the world to stand as it was now, so mired in violence and hate as it was. The world had already gone through three world wars, and he had no doubt it wouldn't take these barbarians long to launch another three. And each war was another few thousand lost, innocent or otherwise.

Master Clow Reed had always worked towards the greater good of all mankind. To bring about peace and prosperity wherever he went was his only goal. And to see that goal defiled in the period after his death was a tragedy he simply could not allow to stand. Something was going to have to be done about these ninjas. But what? As it was, he didn't have the strength to obliterate them, and there were to many to be taken out all at once anyway. The civilians couldn't be trusted much either, as they had all been conditioned to be reliant on the ninja for their most basic needs (really, people didn't do their own gardening anymore? They had to pay people to do it for them? For Clow's sake…)

He'd have to go away for a while. Perhaps the mountainous lands of the north. He could hide out there, and try and sort this whole thing out. Maybe he could dig up some of the old Magical Artifacts buried around the continent, just in case. But for that he'd need enough energy to sustain him… thank goodness there were a few hundred unsuspecting civilians who could do just that.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto's face twitched as he looked down.

"Naruto… don't you dare" Sasuke warned.

Naruto's face was turning red, and he placed a hand over his mouth to hide his growing grin.

"I'm warning you Naruto." Sasuke said with a growl.

Naruto bit his thumb, his eyes watering.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore "Bwha ha ha haha haaa!" he said, falling over holding his sides as he looked down at the head poking out of the ground. He held onto his ribs as they started to ache, his laughter so loud it scared off the birds in the trees.

"Boss, what's so funny?" a clone asked as it wondered up, holding an unconscious Sakura in its arms. Then it saw the head too. "HA!" it gave a loud laugh, but before it could get going, it accidentally woke Sakura.

Now, if Sakura had awoken to Sasuke holding her in his arms, she would have been ecstatic. But Naruto? Not so much. The unfortunate clone gave one last laugh before a punch to the jaw ended its short existence.

"What the heck is going…" Sakura trailed off at the sight of a second Naruto (the first one having disappeared on her) laughing at the sight of a growling and muttering Sasuke.

At first she was tempted to think her horrible nightmare about Sasuke being killed by sensei was true; but then she realized that not even Naruto was so cruel and awful as to laugh at an actual severed head.

Sasuke shifted his gaze away from the dobe, it was obvious now he was going to be no help _"Laugh while you can Uzumaki… you're on the list now! Just above that vender who sold me the wrong type of donut, and just below that squirrel that looked at me funny on the walk over here. Oh yes, vengeance will be mine!" _Sasuke ranted in his head, trying fruitlessly to escape his earthy prison. Looking up, he saw the one fangirl who's love of him bordered on creepy and obsessive (well, they were all like that, but her only more-so), and figured maybe just this once she'd be helpful. "Sakura, could you please help me out here? The dobe's to caught up in laughing at me." he said, managing to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Despite being weirded out by a talking head, Sakura managed to nod and walk over to him. She had to admit, it was pretty funny that **the **Sasuke Uchiha, rookie of the year, was stuck in a hole up to his neck. When she was sure he couldn't see her, she let out a giggle of her own, thankful that Naruto's obnoxious laughter drowned her out (how had he not stopped for breath yet?).

Unsure how to proceed, she did the first thing that came to mind: She grabbed him by the ears and pulled upwards as hard as she could.

"OW! OW! OW! OW! Sakura! OW! PLEASE! OW! STOP! OW! PULLING! OW! ON! OW! MY! HEAD!" Sasuke shouted, nearly having his ears ripped off by Sakura's persistent tugging.

"Oh… sorry Sasuke" Sakura said, giving his head one last tug, and getting another grunt of pain and a small lock of hair (which she quickly pocketed for her Uchiha shrine… don't look at her like that!) as her reward.

"Ah, that was the best laugh I've had in years. Alright, let's get him out." Naruto said, leaping to his feet, but keeping the Sealing Wand behind his back, fiddling with the controls.

"Glad my pain amuses you, Uzumaki." Sasuke said with a glare as Naruto approached him.

"Me too!" Naruto replied with a smile, sticking his staff into the earth _"Float, you know what to do." _he thought. He felt, more the saw, Float's magic sink into the earth, loosening the dirt and the Uchiha. Naruto dug his hands into the ground until he found Sasuke's shoulders. Then, with Float making everything about ten times lighter, he gave a swift yank, and pulled Sasuke about halfway out of the ground. From there, Sasuke was able to get himself the rest of the way out.

"Thanks" Sasuke said, looking defiantly anywhere but Naruto. It was a blow to his Uchiha pride to have to be rescued like that. He was grateful, don't get him wrong, but he still didn't like the idea of being helped like that.

"No problem." Naruto said, taking his staff back and twirling it absentmindedly. "I take it your encounter with Kakashi-sensei didn't go over well?" he asked, getting a somber nod back in return. "Yeah, me either." he admitted.

"This isn't fair, how can we beat a jounin on our own?" Sakura said, nearly pulling her hair out in frustration.

"I'm not sure we can." Sasuke said with a glower, feeling like he was being set up. He wanted to accomplish this mission on his own, without the help of anyone; the same way he wanted to accomplish his life's goals. But if he couldn't even do this…

"I know what you mean, I had to use a whole bunch of clones just to keep from getting massacred." Naruto said, scathing the back of his head.

"I didn't think you were any good at the clone jutsu?" Sakura said, looking confused.

Naruto just chuckled "Yeah, I had to do a lot of training to master it, but it's definitely worth it." he said. Sakura nodded, neither realized they were talking about two different types of clones.

Sakura's eyes widened "Wait! Maybe that's it! Maybe we shouldn't try and attack sensei one at a time, but try beating him together!" she exclaimed.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion "As much as I would love to work with you Sakura, there's only two bells, and three of us. How does that work?" he loved the idea of working together to defeat a powerful foe, it was what he did with the Clow Cards all the time.

"One of the first rules of being a good ninja is knowing how to lie." Sasuke said "Kakashi sensei lied to us to get us to fight amongst ourselves. The only real way to pass this test is to work together."

Naruto grinned "Sweet, so then all we need is a strategy, and with some teamwork, we'll show that lazy sensei not to mess with us!" he practically shouted, giving the air a fist pump.

The other two didn't share his level of enthusiasm, but both couldn't help little grins forming on their faces. What could they say? His good mood was infectious.

And so, the three who would be Team 7 put their heads together, and began to try and devise a strategy for defeating a mighty jounin.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

"Oh Inuyasha, why must you love Kikiyo? Can't you see that Kagome is the girl you need?" Kakashi muttered to himself as he read his little orange book. He hadn't seen his team in a while now, and he was beginning to lose hope of them passing the test. Individually they had promise (Sakura needed work), but if they couldn't work together, they weren't going to pass.

Hearing something rustle in the bushes, Kakashi sighed internally, putting away his book just as the attack came. A hail of Kunai flew from towards him, but he jumped back to avoid it. His eye widened slightly when he saw that each Kunai had an exploding note attached. He was forced to leap backwards to avoid the explosion.

While he was in the air, Kakashi noted he was falling a lot slower then he thought he would be. But that thought took a backseat to the large log that was swinging his way. He quickly substituted himself with another log, and watched as the large one exploded, apparently also having Exploding Seals hidden on it.

He had no time to relax though, as Sasuke dove out from his cover to engage the older man in a hand to hand combat battle. Kakashi gave Sasuke a patronizing sigh "Didn't you learn anything from our last encounter Sasuke?" he asked.

Sasuke just gave the 'I'm better then you and will dance on your grave, you peasant' smile he saved for special occasions "Oh, I learned alright" he said making Kakashi curious. He pushed away from Kakashi just as a small log on a rope swung towards the pair.

It was small enough though, that Kakashi managed to catch it with a little chakra in his arm. This one was close enough he could tell there was no exploding tag on it.

"Ha!" a girlish cry of delight cried from the distance as what looked like a pair of bolas made out of rocks and some rope flew out and wrapped themselves around his legs.

Sasuke took this moment to charge the man while his legs were tied, arm reaching for the bells. But Kakashi dropped low, and swung his bound legs around, sweeping Sasuke off his feet. But instead of hitting the ground hard, Sasuke just sort of drifted softly for a split second, giving Sasuke the chance to catch himself and flip away. Kakashi doubted the boy noticed it, but he had. How was it possible?

That question would have to be saved, because Sasuke was preparing another fire jutsu, and if Kakashi wasn't mistaken, that was Naruto standing behind him pointing his weird staff in his direction. This wouldn't end well.

And he was right. The high powered wind blast mixed with the massive fireball, creating a deadly beam of fire that exploded on impact with the ground. Both Kakashi and Sasuke were thrown away from the point of impact, with Sasuke disappearing into the trees, and Kakashi hitting the ground in the center of the clearing hard.

Kakashi coughed, his head spinning. He had to admit, that hurt a lot more then he had thought it would, and he hadn't even been hit directly! But ultimately, the three still hadn't gotten the bells. Oh well; they had acted in tandem with each other so well, he may just pass them anyway. He'd tie up Sakura with orders for her not to be fed, let them feed her, then scare the crap out of them (he loved scaring fresh Genin). Then he'd explain the importance of teamwork, talk about the memorial stone, and then let them all go home after announcing they had passed. Yeah… that would be… awesome…. so…

Kakashi blinked. Something was wrong. He was tired. So very, very tired. His eyelids were growing heavy, and every muscle in his body wanted to collapse into a sleeping heap. He was also sure he was hallucinating, because he could swear he saw blue dust drifting down around him.

"Go! Do it now!" a voice that was near and far at the same time shouted. Kakashi heard people rushing towards him and tried to stand up. But the blue powder just whipped around his head in a frenzy, dulling his reflexes and dampening his cognitive abilities.

He felt a sharp tug at his waist, then a loud cheer, before everything finally started to clear. Shaking his head to fully wake himself up, Kakashi saw both Sakura and Sasuke standing not far away with a bell. Sakura was busy jumping up and down cheering, and even Sasuke looked especially pleased.

Kakashi eye smiled "Well congratulations you two, you passed." he turned to Naruto who was standing nearby, staff in hand. "But Naruto, you didn't get a bell. You know what that means don't you?"

Naruto paled, as did Sakura and Sasuke. Without a bell, Naruto wouldn't pass after all. For all intents and purposes, it looked like they'd been wrong.

And yet "No…" Sakura said, stepping between Kakashi and Naruto "I was the first one you took out sensei. And I know I'm too weak for much else besides setting traps." she said tears in her eyes "But Naruto… he deserves to pass. So please sensei, let me give Naruto my bell." she said pleadingly.

Before Kakashi could nod, he was interrupted "No." This time Sasuke stepped forward, to both his and the others shock "I was only able to compete with brute force. I couldn't make a decent plan, and in the end could only help serve as a distraction." he looked down at the bell, as though what he was about to do physically pained him "I do not deserve to be a genin at this time. But I will train for another year, and by then I am sure I will be ready." he said, his eyes downcast as he, the almighty Uchiha, sacrificed for someone else.

Kakashi looked at Naruto "Well Naruto, it looks like you have two bells now. Who are you going to give the spare to?" he asked.

Naruto just shook his head "You two are crazy. I'm the dead last, and have been for almost three years! So what if I don't pass this time! I'll just come back next year even stronger!" he decreed pumping his fist "Besides, who will Iruka-sensei give all those detentions too if I'm not there?" he asked jokingly, trying to make his shocked looking teammates smile "So don't worry about me, no one can keep Naruto Uzumaki down for long. Believe it!" he cried with a flourish of his wand.

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Kakashi gave a light laugh "Well, I think I've heard enough." he said, getting their attention "I am proud to say that all of you… pass!" he loved the looks on their faces. Open mouthed with shock, which quickly changed to looks of pure happiness. Even Sasuke gave a real smile before his Uchiha decorum knocked it back down to a satisfied smirk. Ah well, it was progress.

Sakura eventually stopped cheering long enough to ask "Sensei, if the point of the exam was to work together, why did you try and pit us against each other with the two bells?" she asked.

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "To fully explain myself, I'd like to show you three something." he turned, and lead them to the memorial stone.

He then proceeded to explain to them the significance of the stone; the duties of being a teammate; the likely hood of being KIA; and all the other things he said in that vein like he did in the manga/anime.

Finally, he wrapped up his lecture to his stone quiet genin with these words:

"Those who disobey the rules are trash. But those who abandon their teammates are worse then trash."

The three genin just stared at him, open mouthed. Up to now, they had never seen him act seriously. And the message he conveyed, really made them all think about the life they had chosen.

Kakashi finally broke the tension, clapping his hands and saying "Alright, Team 7 will meet back here tomorrow at seven a.m. for formal training. For now, go and celebrate! You've earned it!" he said.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered, jogging off, visions of ramen bowls dancing in his head.

Sasuke walked off in a different direction. He was thinking about Naruto's staff, and that maybe he needed a cool weapon too. Not a staff obviously, but something befitting his Uchiha status. Maybe a sword…

Sakura left quickly enough, but walked home slowly. The only way she had been helpful was with her traps, and that was only with the boys doing the major work. She was going to have to change herself a bit if she wanted to survive in this world.

Kakashi took out his precious orange book and teleported away. He planned to be fashionably late to the jounin meeting anyway, might as well get some reading done. And after the meeting was over, he was going to make sure to ask Lord Hokage about Naruto and that odd looking Staff…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto smiled, practically bouncing down the street. He could hardly believe the good morning he'd had. Sure sensei had been tough, but that made victory all the sweeter when they managed to pass his test anyway! Working with Sasuke and Sakura wasn't so hard… he'd learned to deal with tougher things when facing down the Clow. Speaking of…

_"Thank you all for helping me and my team. As far as I'm concerned, you're all a part of Team Seven too!" _he thought, clutching the Sealing Wand.

_**"Thank you kindly Master Naruto" **_Windy and Sleep said, though he noted that Sleep seemed to be extra exuberant.

Float didn't speak, so much as send feelings of acknowledgement for his praise.

_**"Yeah, I'm awesome, no need to tell me that… though keep doing it if ya want" **_Rain said, basking in his praise. She was quickly smacked over the head by Windy, who pointed out that she hadn't done anything to help Master Naruto. They quickly descended into heated bickering, which the others ignored.

Naruto was so high on his cloud that he didn't notice where he was going, until he bumped right into someone. Blinking, Naruto quickly apologized to the man, hoping he wasn't about to be cursed out by an angry villager.

But the man hardly acknowledged him. He gave a sickly sort of mumble, then shuffled off. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the strange actions, until he noticed that everyone on the entire block was acting that way. Every which way he turned, people were stumbling about like sickly old movie zombies.

Before he could voice his concerns, he felt Keros stiffen up on top of his head, and knew what the answer must be. Stepping into a nearby alley (wasn't it always nice to have a convenient alleyway to stop in?), he waited for Keros to explain the situation to him.

**"This is Shadow's work." **he said, not bothering to beat around the bush. **"He has complete control over other people's shadows, and can steal them to increase his strength." **he explained. **"But doing so leaves the target in a particularly weakened state. But, if we can seal him, all the shadows will naturally go back to their owners." **he finished, giving Naruto everything he needed to know… except…

"Does he have any weaknesses? Something one of the girls we've got can use? Or something I can do with my shadow clones?" he asked

Keros scratched his chin in thought **"Shadow's power requires both light and darkness to function. If its too bright, or too dark, there are fewer shadows to manipulate. So to answer your question… I don't know. You could try binding his physical body with Windy, but I'm not sure how well that would work. Unless you have a few dozen how powered lights on you…" **he trailed off. Naruto shook his head, before suddenly getting a look in his eye. Creating a single shadow clone, he nodded at it and watched it take off.

"Show me where he is, and I'll take care of the rest." he said confidently.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Five minutes later, Naruto had found his target. It wasn't hard; all he had to do was follow the trail of stumbling shadowless people. And it wasn't like Shadow was trying to hide himself. He was just standing in the street, looking in the windows, surrounded by stumbling citizens. Naruto wasn't sure, but Naruto thought he looked deep in thought.

Sadly, that introspective period was about to end. "Shadow!" Naruto called "I am the Card Captor, and I order you to stand down!" he unsealed the Sealing Wand, twirling it like a professional before settling into a comfortable stance.

Though he didn't show it, Shadow was very surprised. He had gotten lost in thought while he was taking shadows, planning the downfall of the Ninja and whatnot, that he must have lost track of time.

He supposed he should have realized that Keros would be around. After all, looking after the Clow Cards was his responsibility. Now what was this about a Card Captor? Ah, the boy was holding the Sealing Wand, so that was where that thing had gone. Okay, so Keros had employed this child track down and reseal the renegade Clow Cards. Hmm… as much as he respected Keros, he didn't feel he was ready to be resealed, especially after what he had learned. No, he needed to find a way to undo the damage the Ninjas had done to this world, and most importantly, undo the advent of Chakra, so that Magic could once again reign supreme.

The boy charged him, wielding the Wand like a staff, clearly the boy was a melee fighter at heart. He sensed the boy had at least some of the Cards captive. Let's see… Windy was there… so was Sleep and Fly… Rain and… Float. Rather well done for such a short time. Maybe he could convince the boy to release his siblings so that they could accompany him? No, Keros wouldn't allow that.

He created a barrier of shadows between him and the boy, which he leapt over with more grace and skill then Shadow had expected. The boy came in close to strike at his head, and that was when he saw it: The Headband! The symbol of the ninja displayed proudly on the boy's brow! Shadow could feel the rage welling up inside him… one of those **animals** had dared to lay claim to Master Reed's Sealing Wand! He had the gall to hunt the Clow and use them as his own! And Keros let him! This would not stand!

Naruto wasn't sure what happened, but he must have made Shadow angry. How did he know? Well, little observational clues, like his stiffened stance, his more suddenly more erratic moving patterns; oh, and the wall of spike that sprouted from an alleyway's shadow that hurtled towards him at mach one! Before it had just been barriers, now it was spike barriers, tentacles, and giant freaking hammers. Shadow's body had stretched out and grown much taller, knocking the shadowless zombie-citizens to the ground as he sought to smash Naruto into pulp.

It was after nearly being caught by a large noose shaped shadow that Naruto figured now would be a good time to call in some backup. With a flick of his wrist and the push of a button, Windy hovered beside him.

"Hey Windy" Naruto said, ducking to avoid decapitation.

_"Hello Master Naruto" _Windy said, her tone somewhat amused at the bizarre shapes her new Master was contorting himself into to avoid harm. _"Tell me, what did you do to earn Shadow's ire?" _she asked.

Naruto gave her a mock glare "You've been with me the whole time, you know I haven't done anything to him! So could you please hold him down… or at least talk some sense into him! He could really hurt people with some of these!" He cried summoning a Shadow clone to take the hit for a civilian that was about to crushed to paste.

Windy nodded, and then hurled herself towards Shadow like a mini-typhoon. She knocked back his shadow lances and slammed his inky body into a wall. Since both were insubstantial beings, the amount of damage they could do to each other was minimal. But she was certain she had more then enough power to overcome Shadow, one way or another.

With a thought, the air formed into golden chains, which wrapped around the shadow man like constrictor snakes. But Shadow would not be contained so easily. He changed his shape, his height, his width; everything he could to throw off the chains. And it was working. Windy's bindings couldn't keep up, and Shadow was rapidly escaping.

_"Shadow, you seem to be putting a lot of effort into this. What's gotten you so riled up?" _Windy asked, a concentrated blast of air destroying an axe that would have decapitated Master Naruto, who was busy ushering citizens out of the area. Master Keros had flown off in search of Erase, who would know doubt soon be busy wiping the memories of these unfortunate citizens.

_"Master Clow is gone, that is what's the matter!" _Shadow practically burst out screaming in her head. _"He and everything he build over a lifetime of service to the people has been forgotten! So much knowledge, so many accomplishments, so many sacrifices, and NO ONE EVEN REMEMBERS HIM?" _He roared, his words echoing in her head. Shadow didn't speak in the conventional sense. He was only able to speak in the minds of others. As such, his screaming did nothing but give Windy a slight headache.

But that didn't bother her much. She could sympathize with Shadow. He had found out what had happened to Master Reed, and wasn't taking it well. It was Sleep all over again. _"Shadow, I can understand your upset. I was too at first… _" She spoke calmly, hoping to sooth her brother _"But all is not lost, brother. We have a new Master now to take up the ways of the Clow Cards! He is kind, compassionate, he is everything Master Reed would want in a replacement" _

Shadow bristled in anger at that statement. Master Clow Reed would most certainly **not **want his replacement to be a hired killer. A moral-less death dealer wielding the most powerful magical artifacts in existence? Master Clow would be turning over in his grave! Did Windy not see this? Or had the eons in the long sleep dulled her sense to the point where she no longer cared? He had to know…

_"Windy, do you know what you know serve?" _Shadow asked, anger in his voice.

Windy blinked, and became distracted enough for Shadow to fully break free. But instead of chasing after Naruto, he turned his attention to her. Windy just nodded _"I know who I serve, yes. I serve Master Naruto Uzumaki" _she said proudly.

She could hear the growl in Shadows voice as he spoke again _"And did you know that boy is a… ninja. A hired killer? Nothing better then a common mercenary? This is who you would have replace the great Clow Reed? Have you taken leave of your senses?" _he said incredulously.

Windy was taken aback by such accusations. But that quickly became indignation as she heard him talk down about Master Naruto. _"Master Naruto is different, Shadow! He is so much more then that, so much better then you believe! He had faults, I'll grant you, but all sentients do! It's a fact of existence that nothing is perfect" _

Shadow shook what amounted to his head and sighed _"I expected more from you Windy… I'm so disappointed. I have no more time to waste talking to you, I have work that must be done" _and with that last insult he teleported from the shadow behind him to Naruto's left, ready to strike the pretender down.

Windy's eyes widened, wind already flowing from her fingertips towards Shadow she cried _"Naruto!" _for the first time disregarding the 'Master' she had always attached.

Naruto turned, his eyes wide in fright… which changed to a hint of mischief as he suddenly burst into smoke. He had replaced himself with a shadow clone.

As Shadow looked around for his quarry, he was blasted in the side by gale force winds. As he turned to defend himself, a searing agonizing pain suddenly laced through him. It covered him like fire and stung him from all sides. Turning his head slightly, he saw several rays of powerful light shining down on him. No, not several, **hundreds**!

Naruto smirked, glad to see his plan working. He had ordered the clone to get him the strongest Flash Bomb they could afford. Once he'd gotten, and made sure it was working properly, he'd cloned himself en mass. Since everything he held multiplied with him (with the exception of the Clow Cards), all of his clones now had the Flash Bomb too.

This plan was way better then his first plan, which involved a hundred flashlight. He'd quickly dismissed that plan because, after all, shining a flashlight at someone wasn't a very cool way to beat the villain, and it'd be even lamer if the villain actually fell for it. Instead, the flash bomb lit up the street like a miniature sun, and that was all by itself. That, multiplied by… however many came out when he threw that fistful of chakra into the clone technique seemed to count as Keros' recommended 'High Powered Light'. Oh it wasn't perfect mind you. He had to get in real close for them to be really effective. He had to constantly summon more to keep up with how many the writhing Shadow was killing.

Thankfully, his luck was in full swing, and he had a great many factors going for him. One, the sun was nearly set, lowering the light, and dimming the shadows around the battlefield, giving Shadow less to work with (though the shadows left were the longest and darkest; and thus the deadliest, so it was mixed bag). Two, Windy. Man she was blasting Shadow left and right. She was doing all she could to make it impossible for him to kill his clones. And the longer Naruto kept up the barrage on the living inkblot, the more he seemed to shrink, as though he was a ballon, and the beams of light were letting the air out. Occasionally he saw tiny shadows fly off of him and towards where another batch of clones who had corralled the zombie-villagers. Those shadows rejoined with their citizen, restoring their strength (not that they got the chance to use it, because the clones would knock them out).

Finally, it was just a tall man sized Shadow that stood before him, desperately shaking in Windy's heavy chains. Naruto twirled the Sealing Wand. This one was probably the toughest yet, but it was well worth it. Once he managed to work with Shadow on whatever was clearly bothering him, he was sure the two of them could make a great team. This was shaping up to be a really good day.

He spoke then words and slammed downy the wand, watching as the golden outline formed. This only seemed to make Shadow all the more frantic. He was not going to go quietly at all. And the weird thing was… he didn't seem to be getting any weaker.

Shadow would not, should not, could not allow himself to be sealed by this person. This **ninja!** The others may have fallen to under his sway, but he would persist! He had a mission that he could not fail before it had really begun! He owed it to Master Clow to revitalize his vision, and no child was going to stop him!

While he thrashed about, he silently sent a small shadow tentacle underneath the boy and himself, which went unnoticed with everything else that was going on. He had to be quick, because every moment that passed, more and more of him faded away. Then, when he felt he was about to be pulled back into his card, he struck!

Naruto gasped in pain as a sharp shadow spike reared up and stabbed him in the side. It retracted, and then stabbed him in the leg, causing him to fall to the ground. He dropped the sealing wand, releasing Shadow. However, what was sealed did not return to the dark wraith.

With no other option, Shadow did the only thing he could: he fled. He knew he would meet the young Card Captor again, and next time… he wouldn't be so nice.

Windy screamed as she saw Naruto get stabbed. She would have blasted Shadow to atoms but felt the need to tend to Naruto first. She gathered him up in her arms, and tried to lift him. It was hard, given the amount of power she'd used, and the fact that Naruto was unconscious weakened her bond to the physical plane.

Luckily, help arrived. Keros and Erase flew over, having revived the citizens after their mind wipe. Upon seeing the state of their charge/Master, the two immediately wanted to know what happened. However, Windy got them to focus long enough to take Naruto back to his apartment. She could see that some strange red energy that felt chillingly demonic was healing his wounds; but she felt it better to watch him.

Before they carried him away, she stopped to pick up the empty card that was the product of the failed sealing. Windy frowned; she knew Shadow would have to be sealed. And as her brother, she found it difficult to say she 'hated' him. But when they finally got him sealed… she was going to slug him good. And somehow, she got the feeling Erase, Sleep, Rain (though she'd never admit it), and the others would be right behind her.

But for now, more important matters demanded her attention. Naruto needed her, and she and the Clow would always be there for him. Always.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Had he the energy, Shadow was sure he would be screaming. As it was, it was taking all his efforts to keep his molecules composed, and not disintegrate into a heap of magic dust. It had been a risky move breaking free from the sealing, but it was worth it. He could not risk being bound again, not before he could see the realization of his mission: the destruction of chakra and the rebirth of magic! Clow Reed would have wanted it that way! He wouldn't want his body of work to be forgotten, replaced by these… monsters!

He certainly wouldn't allow himself to be sealed by one such monster! Clow Reed would be spinning in his grave at the idea! And what was worse, Keros was helping the hellspawn! And several of his sisters had been captured by him! This would not stand!

But what could he do? As he was, he was far to weak to mount a proper assault on the boy. A boy who would only continue to grow stronger as he hunted down more Clow Spirits. He would have to find some way to rescue his siblings and prevent them from being sealed… but how? This would require more study, something he couldn't properly do in this state… wait… he had an idea!

In his study of the foul ninja's forbidden arts, he had seen seals that were made with the intent of sealing a demon into a human vessel! If something so drastically non-human as a demon could be bound to a human vessel, then couldn't he, a spirit, do the same? Of course! Master Clow had met many specters in his time, so the idea was sound. Now then, all he would need was an adequate vessel… ah, and there was one there! From what he could sense about the body, providence had smiled on him.

Before the body even knew he was there, he was in, inserting himself deep into the psyche. He twisted its thoughts around, and soon, the host was forced to accept him. The human would have control most of the time (he didn't wish to fool with day-to-day basics); but he could assume control whenever he needed. The body would at least enjoy some benefits. Shadow would increase his durability, and even grant him some of his shadow magic, if he felt like it. Had the true owner known what was going on, they might have mounted a proper defense, but as it was, it was child's play.

The only bad thing about the body was that it was a chakra user. He repressed a shudder. The only reason he could posses a body with chakra was due to his magic levels being so low. If he was really going to declare war on these 'ninjas' he would need to understand them and their ways; chakra included. With that in mind, he quickly went over every memory the body had, and found to his delight that the body was familiar with Keros' little 'Card Captor'. This might just work out after all. As long as he was in this body, Keros could not detect him. That of course meant he wouldn't be able to leave it as often as he would have liked, but he would manage. Since the body belonged to a ninja, that meant he wouldn't be able to just run off, lest the village send hunter-nin to kill this body like a dog. Oh well. He was a in a tough spot, and beggars couldn't afford to be picky.

As the body's owner awoke, it felt all the knowledge Shadow had implanted slide into place. It knew about the Clow Cards, and it knew about Naruto. It also knew that it would be expected to hunt down the Clow Cards as well, when it wasn't serving Shadows other needs. It would still go on missions, as it was an excellent opportunity for Shadow to travel the world and see how it had changed without raising to many eyebrows. And as the he took all of this in, he could really only think of one thing to say:

"Troublesome."

**End Chapter 5**

**So... what did you think? Did you like it? Did you not like it? Please tell me in a review (but please, no flames) your thoughts and feelings on this chapter. Did I not say that Shadow was going to be different? And he certainly was, wasn't he. I hope I made his reasons believable to you. Expect to see more of him in the future (not necessarily the immediate future, but the future). As we saw with Rain, not every card is going to love Naruto right away. And now Shadow has shown us that some may even downright hate him. All the Clow are different, and each will react in a different way.  
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**I don't really have much else to say, mostly cause I'm wondering if this will be well received. I know a lot of you were looking forward to Shadow, and here I've gone and made him a 'bad guy'. I hope that doesn't turn any of you off from this fic .Though if it does, I'm sorry to hear that, but ultimately it's my decision and I'm not changing it. **

**On a different note, side characters are fun to write! I very much enjoy exploring the messed up mentality of Sakura and Sasuke. Even Tomoyo was fun for the one section she was in. I may make reference to her in other chapters (She will not ever be paired with Naruto in this story. I'm cutting that train of thought off right now). ****Hopefully I can have some fun with Kakashi's character too (he was mostly cannon this chapter, but I'll get to him soon enough). **

**Well, that's all for now. I hope you all liked this, and if you did, that you will tell me so in a review. **

**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 6 - A Day of Training. En Garde Sasuke! _


	6. A Day of Training: Engarde Sasuke!

**Hello, Hello, Hello! How is everybody! I know I'm doing... ok. College takes up a lot of time, but it still leaves me enough to continue my passion for writing! Which is what brings us all here today, for another chapter of the story I hope you all love reading as much as I love making! First though, let's answer some comments:  
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**Fan of Fanfics21: Yeah, Shikamaru has just entered a rather troublesome world. Hmm... well, while your offer is intriguing, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. This fic is still in its infancy, and I don't really feel confident in crossing it over with any other fics.  
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**Xeiden: Yeah, there's a whole wide world for Shadow to see, and you can bet he's got some big plans for it. And Sasuke... well he's just about nearly bonkers.  
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**anon: It's not about what Shika knows or not. Shadow has taken over, and Shikamaru must obey.  
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**Imadork: Thanks. Every encounter is different, or at least I try to make it so...  
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**drake202: Thanks. I think CC was a really under appreciated anime (and one I desperately wish they'd bring back or revamp).  
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**Tech Jammer: Worry not, this fic shall indeed continue. I hope my story continues to live up to your high expectations.  
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**Baron von Nobody: Yes, Shadow will be with us for quite some time, and he and Shikamaru will... ah, no spoilers. As for Sword, I wouldn't exactly say gentleman, but I do think he's got quite a bit of personality.  
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**Animeguy1101: Yeah, but I thought having him show up during the bell test would have been too much going on at once, and wouldn't have allowed for him to stew enough in his dislike. And trust me, Sword has more powers then just being able to cut through things.  
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**1TroublesomeGuy: Thanks. Tomoyo and Rock Lee... O_o that would be something. As long as I am around, this fic shall Never Die!  
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**Drake G. Reaper: Shika is aware that Shadow's inside him. And he is not happy about it. The other teams were mostly just for fun to break up the paragraphs of individual thoughts. This story will mostly focus on the Rookie Nine and Team Gai. At this time, Orochimaru does not know about the Clow... and that's probably for the best.  
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**darkWING360: Know problem. Yeah, not all the cards will be so gungho to play nice with Naruto.  
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**taichidecade: Thank you. Yeah, Shadow/Shikamaru will... sorry, no spoilers.  
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**jinchuriki sama: Well, not every fight can be long; but they will get longer (and hopefully more epic) as time goes on.  
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**Tray-lover2: Oh don't worry, I don't plan on giving up on this fic. Shikamaru is aware of Shadow. He just can't do anything about it. Shika's eyes will not glaze over black... probably.  
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**professorchaos: Yeah, I wanted away to change the staff in a way that would make it more functional to Naruto when he's on a mission. Sadly, Mirror nor Flower are scheduled to appear in the near future. Also, Naruto will leave on missions, but that doesn't mean the Cards won't follow.  
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**Dragon and Sword Master: Yeah, I was surprised at there not being more crossovers like this too. Yeah, I only worry is that I might run out of personalities. As for what Shikmaru will do... sorry can't say.  
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**Acolyte of the Blood Moon: Thanks, hope you like this chapter too. **

**Kid omni-man: Thanks.  
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**Dragon Golem: Giggle? Well alright then. Your welcome then.  
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**with an m16: Glad I'm inspiring people to watch the anime (soooo underrated) And your guesses are very good, and much closer then you think.**

**Well there you go folks. This chapter, in case you didn't guess from the Title, brings us Sword. What will the personality be? You'll have to read to find out. I really don't have much to say this time around, so let's go ahead and jump right into the next chapter of...**

**Naruto: Card Captor **

**Chapter Six: A Day of Training; Engarde Sasuke!  
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_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Keros let out a breath of relief as he sat back on the side of the bed. After what he was sure was going to be a close call, the kid had pulled through. Turns out the Kyubi was good for something after all, and had taken pretty good care of Naruto's injuries, leaving not so much as a scar behind.

Still, it had given all of them a scare, and it had been impossible to dismiss the two Clow women from their master's side during the healing process. The others hadn't been any better, because even sealed they could still psychically communicate their worry about their kind master. With Naruto finally resting peacefully, he was able to convince Windy and Erase to go. Erase was particularly adamant to stay, as she blamed herself for not being there to stop Shadow's rampage when her Master needed her.

Shadow. Keros wasn't sure what had gotten into the shades head. According to Windy, Shadow was majorly bent out of shape because of the current state of the world, the lack of magic in the people, and the fact that Clow Reed had been completely forgotten.

He could, in some ways, see why Shadow was so upset. He had considered Clow Reed a good friend, if not the best friend Keros had (certainly a better friend then Yue); and his death was hard on Keros. But the fact that Shadow had professed a hatred of ninjas, before escaping into a village full of them, worried him somewhat what the desperate spirit might do. The only consolation was when Windy showed him Shadow's partially completed card. Given that the card hadn't turned to dust when Shadow escaped meant that they had taken a major portion of Shadow's powers from him. That would take quite a while to come back to him naturally, in which time they could hopefully track him down before he hurt anyone.

Keros looked Naruto over. Something told him Naruto was unlikely to bare Shadow much ill will for what he'd done. It just wasn't in the kid to hold a grudge. And both he and Naruto knew that some battles with the other Clow Cards were likely to be as dangerous, if not more so, then this one. It didn't mean he had to like it though.

**"Please wake up soon Naruto." **Keros whispered, curling into a ball next to the kid, drifting off to sleep.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

It was so cold. It was so dark. No one was here. It was all so terribly… boring. While initially a nice change of pace from the seemingly eternal darkness of the long sleep, hanging out around here wasn't much better. How he **longed** for excitement and adventure like the old days.

He scoffed as he took in his company. A bunch of inferior equipment, that's what it was. What was that over there? Shuriken? Kunai? Bah, toys. And was that a set of nunchaku on the other wall? Hmph, a flashy blunt instrument, that's all it was. The Katana near him were slightly interesting, but apparently none had seen battle; and a bunch of newbies were unlikely to provide stimulating conversation for very long.

Oh how he wished someone would pick him up! Why could no one hear his cry? He was so anxious to see the world after all this time, and all its splendor, and all he got were the walls of this shop! If this was to be his new life, he was going back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow would be the day someone **finally** came and got him…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke frowned, as was his default face mode. Today had been a bit of a wash as far as training was concerned. And he really wanted to do something to counter act that.

He had shown up on time, as he always tried to do. The other two had been there too, with Sakura oh so eager to see him. Naruto was there too, looking a bit more tired then usual. Unlike Sakura, who was wearing the same thing she had the day before (not that he could comment, he was wearing a near identical outfit), the dobe was wearing a red button up shirt with very short sleeves, and a pair of blue shorts that cut off just above the knee. Really, the only remarkable thing about today's outfit was the straw hat he was wearing. **(If you can't guess, it's Luffy's outfit)**

Kakashi had been late again. Sasuke was hoping the man's training methods were better then his attendance habits. Sasuke knew he had much to learn, and that this man was the key to learning it. For that, and that alone, he would put up with this.

But even then, it hadn't been much of a training session. Kakashi had made them toss a water ballon between the three of them… while wearing blindfolds. You can see how this might have resulted in problems. Kakashi had said something about it being a 'trust building' exercise; but honestly, Sasuke thought that the silver haired bastard was too lazy to think of a real training program.

But one of the worst things about today (besides having to listen to Sakura complain about getting wet), was that he hadn't gotten to see it again. What was the 'it' you ask? The staff.

The staff, which Naruto had wielded so expertly during their trial against Kakashi had remained wherever the blonde kept it when not in use. He would have asked about it, but as an Uchiha, he wasn't going to initiate a conversation unnecessarily. The staff fascinated him, with the bizarre seals and gadgets that apparently lay inside. Not only could it fire a high pressure blast of wind, but also release a potent cloud of knock out powder. What else could it do?

But pondering the mysteries of the staff had gotten him thinking again about getting his own weapon. After all, if the dobe could get a staff and apparently master it, why couldn't he do the same?

That was what had lead him here, to this shop. According to the sign on the window, it had 'The Best Made Weapons In Konoha!'. Well, that sounded promising. So, without further thought, he entered the shop, determined to walk out with a weapon.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke was surprised; the store was much bigger then he had thought, with weapons lining virtually every surface. There were rows of shuriken, stacks of flash grenades, and a whole wall of weapons from every corner of the globe. Clearly, he had come to the right place.

"Welcome. How may I help you today?" a kind, young voice asked, drawing Sasuke's attention. Turning, he spotted girl looking at him from behind the counter. She had brown hair, done up in two buns, and was wearing a red chinese style shirt with a gold dragon going up the left side of it. More importantly, he could see a Leaf Headband around her forehead, meaning that she was a ninja too.

Realizing he was staring, Sasuke coughed "I'm here looking for a weapon" he said, walking to the front of the store, quickly adding "and not just shuriken or kunai, but something more along the lines of a sword."

Tenten's eyes seemed to light up when he said the word 'sword', as she practically leapt over the counter to get to him. "Well you've come to the right place!" she said, with great enthusiasm. "I'm a weapons specialist, and I get all my weapons here, and let me tell you, you won't find a place with a weapon better then any we make here!" she told him. Okay, so maybe she was biased, since this was her father's shop, but that didn't make her statement any less true. "I'm Tenten by the way." she said, shaking hand. Judging by how young he looked (maybe only slightly younger then her), she could tell he was a genin. Normally, one might think him a bit young to wield a weapon, but to someone who had been sharpening blades as long as she had, it made no difference.

"Sasuke Uchiha" Sasuke replied, slightly stunned by the girls exuberance for something a simple as a sword.

Tenten just nodded and quickly pushed Sasuke in front of the main display of swords. To his left were Katanas, to his right were broadswords. Everything else was in-between. Sasuke looked over each sword closely, trying to find something that felt right. If he recalled correctly, his brother (May he rot in the inferno for all times) used a ninjato, so that was automatically out. It was as he was going over everything he realized that Tenten was still talking to him.

"So what made you want to get a weapon now? You look like a fresh genin, what would you need a sword for?" she asked. Really it wasn't her place, but she was curious. It was her nature to want to figure things out, and find out how things worked. Generally she kept her curious nature to weapons, but it could also be applied to people. Heck, she knew pretty much everything about her teammates, and only slightly less about her sensei. It had been a really slow day at the shop so far, and this Sasuke had just caught her in one of her moods.

Sasuke blinked, not used to being talked to so… normally by a female. Usually every girl he met was either a fangirl, or a mother of a fangirl. But this Tenten… she wasn't acting like one of his fangirls. That, in and of itself, was a novelty. Just for that, he felt he could talk to her and answer that question.

"My teammate" he started, his eyes going back to the display "has a very interesting staff, which he used on our sensei in our genin exam. It's versatility made me realize how useful weapons combat could be in the long run." he said simply.

Tenten raised an eyebrow, her interest further peaked. "Interesting how?" she asked, always on the look out for interesting weapons. She hoped one day, once she had risen in rank, that she would get the opportunity to go out and hunt down some of the legendary weapons: The Stolen blade of the Second Hokage, the swords of the Seven Mist Swordsmen, and others. All of those weapons were abnormal in someway, but that didn't mean she wasn't interested in such things on a smaller scale. Maybe Sasuke's teammate was a weapons enthusiast too? She been trying to find one her age, just to have someone to talk to about this sort of thing (all the other girls wanted to do it seemed was talk about boys).

Sasuke frowned, but not at Tenten's words. There was something drawing him towards a particular sword. It seemed to shimmer in the light, as though radiating power. When he looked at it, he could swear he heard battle drums in the distance. Unlike the swords around it, this sword was a thin, almost rapier like straight sword. The handle was quite ornate, and it had a basket grip for protecting the hand. He was so entranced with it he just barely heard Tenten's question.

"He shot some knock out gas out of it at our Sensei." he replied almost zombie like, his hand reaching towards the sword.

Some genin had a tricked out staff? How'd he get that? She knew a fact that none of the staffs sold here sprayed knock out gas! Did he make it himself? If not, who did? Oh, now she really wanted to… Tenten's thoughts trailed off as she saw her customer drawn towards one of the newer blades in the shop. She wasn't sure when it had been put on display, it had just been there during her shift one day. She figured her dad must have put it up without telling her; he was a busy guy after all. Like most weapons, she heard this one crying out for a master, and by the look on Sasuke's face, the sword was about to get one.

After what seemed like ages, Sasuke grasped the sword, and for a brief instant felt a surge go through him. His head stung for a moment, as though his brain had gotten larger and then returned to normal. Shaking his head, he looked down at the sword, and subconsciously clenched his fist.

"I take it you like that one?" Tenten asked jokingly. Sasuke blushed slightly at his un-Uchiha like behavior over a sword, but asked the price.

Tenten put her chin in her hand "Well, it's new, but judging by the decoration, the quality of the steel, and other factors, I can tell you it won't be cheap." she said honestly. This was one of the bad things about running a shop. She couldn't give the weapons out for free, even if she did think that certain pairs of weapons and wielders belonged together.

Sasuke just shook his head "I can assure you, money is not a problem." It was true. In a rather tasteless attempt to earn his favor, some of the council had degreed that as the Last Uchiha (it was capitalized in the paperwork they showed him), he was entitled to all the money his clan had as a whole. This had the effect of making him obscenely rich over night. While normally this would be great, to a kid who had just lost their entire family, the money really wasn't going to sooth the soul. He had never really felt comfortable using it, and it generally just sat in a vault somewhere. Still, it had always been there, waiting to be used; which for a couple of years now, he hadn't (he mostly used it to fix up his apartment).

Tenten smiled, relieved "Well alright then, I'm sure you two will be very happy together." she narrowed her eyes playfully "Although I'm not sure I can really sell that to you. Do you even know how to use that thing?" she asked semi-seriously.

Sasuke balked, his Uchiha pride stung. The fact was, he knew very little about kenjutsu (sword techniques), outside of what he had seen in the movies and occasionally real life. Of course, he wasn't about to let this girl, Tenten he corrected himself, know that.

"Of course I do, I'm… good." he said, with as much confidence as he could muster.

Tenten repressed an eye roll at the somewhat obvious lie. Just looking at the way the kid had held the sword she could tell he hadn't used one a day in his life. Well, as the person selling him the sword, it would be a laps of duty to let him go on uneducated.

"Oh really? Well, I'm about due for a break about now, why don't you and me go out back and practice for a bit?" she said, already pulling Sasuke towards the training lot out behind the shop. She figured if she roughed up his pride a little, he'd concede to taking lessons, and learn to actually use the dang thing. She didn't care who taught him, but she was not going to let someone with no knowledge of such a fantastic weapon carry it without some learning. She supposed she could have refused to sell it to him, but frankly the store needed the money, so she couldn't really turn down the sale.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of smoke as he leaned back in his chair. It was a nice, comfy chair, one of the many perks of the office. But sadly he was too engrossed in thought to enjoy his amazingly comfortable chair. What was it that preoccupied his thoughts? Who else.

He had recently sent Kakashi, who had several questions for him, away. Kakashi had been very curious about the staff Naruto had, and rightly so. The Hokage knew he should bring Naruto in to talk about the power he had found, but he was still trying to think through how best to broach the subject.

Oh, he was very much aware that it was no ordinary staff Naruto had used in his fight with Kakashi. He was also aware that the unusual Rain and bizarre memory laps he'd experienced earlier this week was not merely mother nature or signs of senility. He was, in short, aware of the Book of Clow.

It was something all Hokage were aware of. The First Hokage had apparently uncovered the book from an ancient shrine of some sort, which gave a vague description of the strange, magical spirits known as the Clow Cards. However, try as he might, the First had never been able to open the Book. He had taken this to mean that he was not meant to wield the Clow, and had been content to leave it at that. However, on the off chance that the true wielder was an enemy of Konoha, he had done what any leader would have done, and sealed the book away in a secure location that he controlled: the Forbidden Scroll.

When it was finally time for him to pass on the title of Hokage to his brother, he allowed that brother to try and open the book, to the same degree of success. This was done again when he, Sarutobi, had been promoted to the title of village leader. Sadly, despite his best efforts, he could not open it either. So, with the passing of the first two Hokages, it was up to him to guard the secret book of Clow. It was a secret he was sure to keep from everyone; his friends, his family, even his three students didn't know about the book (which, given the betrayal of Orochimaru, was probably a good thing).

He had been almost certain that his successor would be the one to open the book, if only because the boy had the luck of the devil himself. But it was not to be. Minato had passed before his time, along with his lovely wife, leaving only a small child to bare the brunt of the village's sorrows.

And yet, despite the odds stacked against him, their son had risen to the occasion quite nicely. Sure he had developed a reputation as a prankster, and wasn't particularly well known for his academic studies, but the boy had the heart to carry out his dreams, and the will to make them happen. A copious amount of raw talent didn't hurt either.

And now, Naruto had opened the book of Clow. Sarutobi wasn't sure what had possessed Naruto to do so, but something told him it would not be a bad thing. If Naruto could master the power of the Clow, he would certainly earn his place in ninja history.

Therefore, it was the least he could do if he… helped his adopted grandson out somewhat by… fudging the truth about certain events should they warrant his attention. After all, who's to say strange things don't just happen sometimes? Or maybe stressed people just see things. This was the ninja world after all, odder things had happened.

So old man Sarutobi just chuckled to himself, swiveling his chair around to face the window that over looked the village. He would make a point to tell Naruto to always ask him for help when he needed it, but he got the feeling that even after that Naruto would probably want to do most of it himself. Yes, things were certainly going to get interesting around here from now on…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke and Tenten stood across from each other in her backyard, which doubled as her training area. The whole place was littered with every weapon Sasuke could imagine, and several he couldn't.

Tenten quickly picked up a practice Katana and met Sasuke in the center of the yard. The sword was steel, but the edge was dull (she wasn't out to hurt the guy).

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the dull looking blade. "Are you sure you can fight with that thing? Looks ready to break" he commented.

Tenten chuckled "That's sweet, but I'll be fine."

_"Fool"_ Sasuke heard in the back of his head _"Look at her stance, she's clearly a professional." _Sasuke blinked. The mumbling voice was new. It sounded so cultured, steady and refined… what the hell was it doing in his head?

"Alright, get ready…" Tenten said taping her sword against his. Just by looking in his eye she could tell he wasn't all there. That kind of irked her; but she'd show him the consequences of not paying attention soon.

The reason for the far off look in Sasuke's eye was simple: The moment her sword had touched his, a ton of information flashed through his brain unbidden. In the strange rush, what he mostly got was…

_Weapon: Training Sword_

_Quality: Poor, but decent for its purpose. _

_Structural Weaknesses: Surprisingly none_

"GO!" Sasuke heard Tenten say, and saw her move the blade towards him. She was moving slowly, given his level of ability, yet to him it still seemed quick.

_"Pay attention!" _the voice cried, just as Sasuke felt his arm jerk up and perform a text book block. Sasuke was jarred by the impact, but Tenten was just as surprised as he was. But then, after a moment, a smile graced her face.

"Not bad, can you keep it up?" she asked him.

Before Sasuke could answer she came at him again, striking quickly and fluidly. And each time, he was just able to block her strikes, the odd voice in his head keeping a running commentary on how he was doing (which was apparently was very poorly).

_"Slow. Sloppy. Boring. Are you trying to fight or are you having a seizure? If it wasn't for me boy you'd have more bruises then hair on your head! For heaven's sake you bloody idiot, go on the offensive!" _

The last thing made in impression, and it was at least something he could actually do. So, gripping the sword tightly, he began a vicious series of attacks back at Tenten, driving her back as he struck with all his might. Sadly, this didn't impress the voice at all:

_"What the hell are you doing boy? It's a sword fight! You're not swinging a hammer there! The only way you'll win fighting like that is if she dies from the giggles!" _

Sasuke blinked, and saw that Tenten was indeed looking like she was trying to resist chuckling at him. He frowned. This was new; normally he was good at pretty much everything. Yet here he was, losing at a spar.

_"Of course you're losing! You're terrible! But it's your first time, so I suppose that's natural. But you should definitely try to be less terrible in the future." _

Sasuke blinked at the backhanded bit of advice, which was just the opening Tenten needed. She sidestepped his blade and twirled around him; ending with her sword pointed at his back "Gotcha" she said simply, a small smile on her face.

_"Pathetic. I can't believe you lost!" _the voice mourned in the back of his head. Sasuke, frustrated, lashed out, hoping to at least to something to make the voice stop complaining.

But Tenten, nonplussed by this easily blocked his attack and redirected it to the ground. Before Sasuke could lift the blade she stepped on the flat of the blade, keeping him from moving it while simultaneously brining her own blade up to his neck.

"Gotcha again." Sasuke sighed, he knew when he'd been beat. It was a bitter feeling, failing like this, but he supposed no one was perfect… all the time.

Seeing he had accepted his defeat, Tenten let go of his sword "Now then, that was… not exactly as awful as I expected it would be for your first time." Tenten said, trying her best not to crush Sasuke with the truth "But I can see some room for improvement." Sasuke just rolled his eyes, like he hadn't know that already.

"Now, because I can't stand to see such a beautiful weapon like that walk away in novice hands, I think it is my sacred duty as a weapons maker to at least help you get the basics down." Tenten said, her personality switching to serious in a second.

Sasuke just nodded silently. He could tell it was going to be a long day…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Shadow groaned in frustration. This insipid affair had been going on for hours! When did it end?

_"Relax, we're almost done. Geez, why do you have to be so troublesome?"_ Shikamaru thought while placing his hands in the proper seal. The weird thing was, it was all for show. Thanks to Shadow, he had no need for hand-seals when it came to manipulating shadows now.

Choji was coming right at him, his tank mode ready to flatten him into a red pancake… only to be stopped by a shadow connecting to his, halting him in his tracks. The object of this was two fold. One was for Shikamaru to stop something as fast and as heavy as Choji (though Asuma sensei had not phrased it that way lest Choji beat him to death with Asuma's own arms). And two was for Choji to try and avoid getting caught, and if he did get caught, break out. So far progress had been rather one sided, as Shikamaru could use Shadow's powers to easily catch his friend.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Very good job Shikamaru. Choji, we'll pick work on your strength tomorrow." Asuma said as he called an end to the day's training. Ino sighed with relief. Since today had been about her two teammates, she had been forced to spar with Asuma sensei.

_**"Finally, we can leave this group of peons and get back to work." **_Shadow said, pleased, his voice echoing in Shikamaru's minds.

Shikamaru frowned, making sure his team couldn't see it _"Those __**peons**__ are my friends." _he replied, annoyed.

_**"I know. My condolences." **_Shadow said nonplussed, already forcing Shikamaru towards the desired destination. Shika just sighed, knowing that resistance was a losing battle that he couldn't win… for now.

Shadow had been quite pleased to find out that the body he possessed was a shadow user. Granted, the techniques known were so watered down that even in the infancy of his creation he had been stronger. But, at least it gave him something to work with.

Another positive point was that the boy was the heir to his clan, allowing him access to files and scrolls normal people could not get to. These often included many powerful, high level techniques. Of course, being a genin, Shikamaru couldn't just **take **the scrolls, but he was allowed to study them for academic purposes. Shadow only needed the boy to look at the technique once, and he would have it memorized. What really had him going though, had nothing to do with jutsu.

The Naras had in their possession several very interesting scrolls buried way at the back of their collection. Scrolls acquired so long ago, no one even remembered them. And the scrolls weren't of much interest to anyone, due to the information being irrelevant. They spoke of bizarre creatures and strange practices, that the logical minds of the Nara deemed as obvious superstition of a bygone age.

All clans had similar, though slightly different scrolls, remnants of the time when shinobi had been migratory. Of a time, when people would collect not just jutsu techniques, but stories of magic, of strange beasts and the like. Sadly, time had changed these scrolls from informative to fiction. Years and years had gone by, and slowly the ability to do magic was lost from the people.

To Shadow, they were worth more then gold. Despite having been written long, long after Clow Reed had entered the long sleep, they had still been made at a time before magic was completely forgotten. Though they were useless to anyone else, to him, they would help him on his quest to rid the world of ninja kind. Several of the scrolls spoke of the location of powerful artifacts, or mystic sites he could go to. Some even had spells written down!

Of course, he would need to alter this body, thus allowing it to use magic. It would be a painful process, as eons had evolved the ninja body to use chakra, and only chakra, as its primary power source. Thankfully, he wouldn't be feeling any of that pain.

If he could, Shikamaru would grimace. The pain he knew he was going to go through would be hell, and there was nothing he could do to get out of it. He desperately wished he could get help, but Shadow watched his every move. The paranoid lunatic was convinced that ninjas deserved to be wiped out, and he planned to use Shikamaru as his cover until he could do it!

_"Your plan will fail" _Shikamaru thought, even though he could tell Shadow was ignoring him in favor of reading his families scroll collection _"Perhaps instead of trying to kill all ninjas, you could try working with them? Bring about that era of peace your Master wanted so much?" _he let the thought trail off. His body stiffened, before resuming its work. But Shikamaru wasn't too deterred. Shadow couldn't ignore him forever.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke was nearly home from training when it happened. _"Where do you think you are going?" _the voice rang in his head. Sasuke blinked. Now, normally the sound of a voice in your head that was not your own tended to put people off somewhat. However, for Sasuke it seemed natural. The voices had come and gone over the years ever since the… incident. Therapy had helped him make the voices stop, but inevitably the always came back in some form or fashion. He'd simply learned to deal with it, and in fact incorporate it into his arsenal. He now always had someone else to critique his plans, and someone to bounce his ideas off of. He did try though, to not necessarily take advice from the voices. That would be crazy.

Thus, instead of panicking when he heard the voice in his head, he answered "I'm going home obviously."

_"But the night is young! There's plenty of time for rest later! Why not go training instead?" _the voice called back.

Sasuke blinked in confusion "I've spent the whole day training. I'm tired and I want to go home." something was off about this voice. It sounded like it was farther away then just in his head….

Suddenly, Sasuke's body seized up, rendering him immobile. _"Bah, I've seen what you call training. It's all well and good to practice, but without some practical application, how can you claim to have learned anything?" _Sasuke's body suddenly started moving, turning down the street away from his house; all without Sasuke's voluntary control.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded, trying desperately to throw off the voice's control to no effect.

Sasuke passed a window, and he saw himself smirk, and a dangerous glint entered his eye _"Just like I said. We're going out to find something more threatening then a training stump to test our blade on." _he said, looking down at the Sword _"And maybe have a little extra fun along the way…" _

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked, rather nervous now that he had lost control of… well himself. Looking around through eyes he couldn't move, he saw he had entered a rather… dark part of town. Why would his body come here?

Sword, who had taken Sasuke's body, grinned as he approached what appeared to be the filthiest looking bar on the block. Since there did not appear to be a score of mystical beasts to slay, he would have to go and do the next best thing. Stopping just outside the bar, he used Sasuke's knowledge to do a simple transformation technique. Sasuke's face was now covered in a hood that let his eyes glow in the darkness surrounding his face. He also looked taller, with armored plates covering various parts of his body. _"There" _Sword thought _"The perfect 'Tall Dark Stranger' look. I would have gone with 'A Dashing Hero' but alas, we will not be wooing any ladies right now. Perhaps later." _

Then, before Sasuke could stop himself, Sword walked up and kicked the door to the bar wide open, letting it hit the wall with a bang. Sauntering inside, Sword surveyed his surroundings. He was pleased to see he had the attention of everyone the bar. It had been a long time since he had been in a fight, and he was eager to work off any rust.

Still, what he said next might have been overdoing it.

"I am the toughest man in this room, and the rest of you are ball-less little girls. I'll pay 5,000 Ryo to the man who can prove otherwise." he **loudly** shouted, letting even people in the street hear him.

It took a moment for the message to sink in, but when it did, it certainly had an effect. An effect that made Sword laugh and Sasuke mentally whimper…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

"Uh… Sasuke?" Naruto asked, looking at his dark haired teammate in concern. Next to him, Sakura was doing exactly the same. Kakashi had actually put the book down and was looking at his normally quiet student with a mixture of confusion and concern.

Sasuke looked like he'd been through hell. His cloths looked ruffled, his hair was matted and unclean. There were several bruises forming on various parts of his exposed skin, as well as several scratches that had stopped bleeding.

"It's nothing" Sasuke said, waving off their concerns. He looked at Kakashi "Now then, is today not the day of our first mission? Then let us not waste a single moment, and be off on our quest!" he declared, turning and walking towards the Hokage's tower.

Well, normally that might have been the end of it. After all, today was the day they got their first mission, and didn't just do team training!

Sadly, it was a D-Ranked Mission. And as any ninjas whose ever had a D-Rank can tall you…

"Thou jest surely?" Sasuke said incredulously as he and his teammates surveyed the battlefield before them. Only it wasn't a battlefield at all. It was a lawn, in desperate need of care. That was their big first mission.

As far as he was concerned; this was not a mission. It was a chore, meant to be done by normal children, not children trained to kill a man in nearly twenty ways using nothing more then plastic water bottle (the number of ways went up to thirty five if the bottle still had the plastic cap). Even if he wasn't an Uchiha, he would have been insulted. As an Uchiha, he was thus **triply **insulted.

But Kakashi had just given that eye smile of his and blown off all their complaints (which was impressive given the volume Sakura could reach when agitated), and fed them some cock-and-bull lines about how it improved teamwork, and was vital for the village or something.

"What he said!" Naruto nodded, not looking any happier about the idea of lawn care as a mission.

"I have to admit, this doesn't seem like much of a mission sensei." Sakura said cautiously. While she was glad it wasn't something dangerous, the fact remained that she was being asked to do common yard work. Was this what she had trained all those years in the academy for?

Kakashi just chuckled, flipping open his little orange book "Afraid not. Our mission, and by 'our' I mean 'your', is to make this lawn look presentable again." he looked down at their stunned faces "Well, get to work" he waved them off towards the weed covered grass.

The three grumbled, before making their way across the law, each slowly but surely picking their task. Sakura found an old push mover that was rusted, but was still workable. Naruto paused for a moment to make a handful of clones that went to work finding and picking weeds and pulling up crabgrass. And Sasuke…

"Very well. If I must partake in such a foul task I shall at least exercise the chance to stretch my creative muscles." he said, his eyes locking on the owner's over grown hedges. Sasuke's grin became feral "Have at thee!" he gave a battle cry, before launching himself at the poor defenseless shrubs with Sword drawn.

Sakura, Kakashi, and the Naruto clones all stopped what they were doing to take in the strange sight: Sasuke Uchiha, maniacally laughing while hacking at a bush.

"Um… Sasuke?" Sakura asked, this visual destroying several of her fantasies about Sasuke being a calm collected stud.

_"Might need to have those psych evaluations a bit early" _Kakashi thought, turning the page as he noticed the owner coming out of the house to see what all the noise was.

"Perfect!" Sasuke/Sword declared, stepping back from his work. He had managed to turn the entire section of hedge into one massive piece: In the center, a tall woman stood atop a giant sea shell, her hair flowing in an invisible breeze, her hands hiding her modesty. On either side of her, several equally nude handmaidens bowed before her, their eyes and arms raised in offering to her perfection.

"Wh-What have you done!" Sasuke turned to see the owner of the land staring in shock and horror at the shrubbery. Odd, Sword thought he'd done a rather fine job.

Sword gave a prideful grin at the man "No thanks are necessary citizen, I could not allow such a hideous lawn piece to stand a moment longer" he said.

The large man just stuttered "Bu-but this isn't what I asked for…" He cast an annoyed eye at Sasuke "This isn't what the mission was at all! I only asked that you fix up my lawn, not deface my hedges!"

Sword raised an eyebrow. He did not appreciate being talked to this way by some civilian "Yes, and the hedges are a part of the lawn. And I did **not **deface them, I improved them" Sword made Sasuke take a step toward the citizen "Though perhaps I should have destroyed them, then they would have at least matched this ramshackled dump you call a house!" he said through clenched teeth, making the man gape in shock.

The rest of team seven looked just as surprised. They had never seen Sasuke emote like this. He had never behaved like this in any of the team training sessions. Who would have thought one low level mission could make him snap?

Sakura stepped forward, eager to keep her crush from saying or doing something he might regret "Um… Sasuke, I think maybe-"

Sasuke raised a hand, silencing her while keeping his focus on the man "Silence pink haired teammate. There will be time for your shrill voiced nonsense later." Sasuke tightened the grip on his sword "Right now I am dealing with this bafoon."

The man raised an eyebrow, quickly getting fed up with the kids behavior "Just who do you think you are kid? I'm your employer, I pay your salary! Where do you get off talking to me like that!"

Sword narrowed his eyes "I think that I am a warrior of this village. I think that I am trained to kill a man in more ways then you can count!" Sword didn't notice he was starting to make a scene, nor did he really care "I think the only reason these pathetic excuses for missions exist is to supplement the village income in place of higher taxes, which cannot be raised, most likely because of a corrupt civilian council! And another thing-"

Sword/Sasuke was cut off as Kakashi suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth and lifted him off the ground. Kakashi gave his best eye-smile to the client as he clung to a thrashing Sasuke "Well, it looks like all the work that needs to be done is done, so why don't we just get out of your way. Please remember to deposit payment for this mission within two to three business days or a payment collector will be sent to speak with you. Ok, have a nice day bye!" he said quickly before fleeing the scene along with Sakura and Naruto.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Kakashi had given Sasuke a severe reprimanding, but it didn't seem to make any difference. The Uchiha had been sent to speak to the 'Ninja/Civilian Public Relationship' officer, in order to find a way to improve his attitude. Two hours later, the officer had run out crying, before throwing himself out a window. Thankfully, they were only on the second floor, so he wasn't hurt too badly.

This happened several more times over the course of the next four days. Every time someone ticked Sasuke off even a little, he went off on them! His speaking patterns also became more and more erratic, switching between his usual tone, to an older more archaic version. He had also upped his training regimen. He would be in the training field long before either Sakura or Naruto showed up (and they had tried showing up extra early to beat him there), and he would stay long after they were gone (and they had stayed behind to make sure he actually **was **leaving). Another weird part though was his behavior towards women: While the old Sasuke would hardly ever acknowledge the fangirls around him, this new Sasuke not only seemed to encourage their behavior, but would also flirt with other, often older women.

Even the people who like the change (read: Fangirls) were starting to wonder about Sasuke. Most would agree that what was once an interesting change of pace was starting to become disturbing. Bags were developing under Sasuke's eyes, showing he wasn't getting enough sleep, and the rest of Team Seven weren't sure what to do.

Sometimes he'd seem completely normal, and that was when he was weirdest. He'd avoid contact with others (which was normal), but he'd also taken to muttering to himself, and was always staring at his new sword. When confronted, he always started to say something, but stopped, as though he couldn't get the words out.

Naruto was discussing this with Keros, who had opted to stay at Naruto's house during the week to catch up on his reading (several eons meant he had a lot to catch up on), when the little toy asked: **"When did all this start?" **

Naruto of course answered "Earlier this week, about four days ago."

Keros scratched his chin **"Anything unusual accompany this change? A change in wardrobe, hairstyle, fighting technique?" **he asked.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, not sure where this was going "Well, he bought a sword and-" he was cut off as Keros suddenly sprung up, flying towards some paper and crayons he'd made Naruto buy.

**"Did his new sword look something like…" **Keros quickly drew something on the paper **"THIS!" **he dramatically held up the paper to reveal an exact replica of Sasuke's sword.

Naruto felt like he could have smacked himself as the pieces fell into place "It looks exactly like that." he sighed "This is a Clow Card thing isn't it."

Keros just nodded sagely **"Oh yeah. Sounds like you've got the Sword card on your hands." **

Naruto just nodded. Figures. It could never be a normal problem, like drugs or television; it had to be mystical spirits "Alright then. Tell me everything you know about the Sword.."

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

It was well after sundown when Naruto finally tracked down Sword. As Keros had suspected, Sasuke was there at one of the more out of the way training fields, but clearly not in control. The person who looked like Sasuke moved with the control and grace of a far older, more experienced warrior. The person who looked like Sasuke was also talking to himself, but not in a manner Sasuke would.

"Training, that's the thing, old boy. Physical training specifically. Far to focused on this chakra flimflam, and now your body can barely handle me. How do you intend to vanquish your nare-do-well brother, and win the heart of the fair maiden with such a weak form and stance?" Sasuke asked the air as his sword arm moved at lightning speeds, butchering two tree until it had been carved into the shape of two people Naruto didn't recognize. Then with a single slice, the sculptures shattered into wood chips.

As soon as he entered the clearing, not-Sasuke's head perked up. "Ho ho, a late night challenger, seeking a duel beneath the moonlight? Very well stranger, come forth and speak thy name, so that I may know whom I am about to slay!" Sasuke said, sounding bizarre to Naruto as he walked towards Sasuke.

"I am Naruto, the Card Captor, and I order you to stand down Sword." Naruto said, with as much authority as he could muster. In this light, Sasuke's eyes didn't look much bigger then pinpricks, making him wonder how Sasuke could see when the only light out was the moon.

"Ah yes, the teammate of my partner. Tell me then, Naruto the card captor, why should I obey your request?" Sword asked, as Sasuke's voice deepened and his stance became more combat ready. "Master Clow Reed is clearly gone now. Should I not have the freedom to roam where I wish?" he asked.

Naruto frowned "Not when you plan to hijack my friend's body" he shouted.

Sword made Sasuke frown "He wants this. He wants power, I am giving him power." he smiled, spreading his arms wide "Together, we shall roam the earth, having many a grand adventure! We shall best many a horrid beast, find many a grand treasure and…" Sword and Sasuke blushed "meet many a fair lady."

Naruto was sure now more then ever that Sword was possessing Sasuke. The Sasuke he knew would never admit to being capable of having feelings towards another person, let alone a woman.

Sword cleared Sasuke's throat "But enough about the future boy, let's focus on the now. How about a battle, eh? I'm eager to test the mettle of someone who Keros would put so much faith in as to trust him with the fate of the Clow." the body got back into a read stance.

Naruto was about to keep arguing, when Keros floated by his ear **"Just go with it. Sword respects strength and skill in battle. If you can beat him, he won't fight as much when you seal him." **he whispered.

Naruto didn't respond, instead setting into a comfortable stance, the Sealing Wand at the ready. Sword made Sasuke grin "Excellent! Then let us not dally a moment longer. Have at you!" he cried, and lunged.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sword raised his blade to easily block the wild swing of Naruto's staff. Sword could hardly resist a good natured laugh. It was clear the boy didn't know how to use that thing as a melee weapon. In a fraction of second, the contact between the two weapons told him all he needed to know:

_Weapon: Staff_

_Quality: Excellent_

_Structural Weaknesses: None_

_Wielder's style: None_

_Wielder's level of skill: Medicore_

_Best Strategy: Any_

Sasuke easily pushed back the staff and sent Naruto stumbling back. As Naruto flailed his arms around, the blade of Sword flashed over Naruto's shirt, slicing Sasuke's initials into it.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled, looking down at his tattered shirt "Do you know how much that cost!" he brought the staff down like a hammer and tried to smash Sasuke's head in, only for him to easily sidestep.

"Oh, my apologies good sir." Sword laughed practically dancing around the frustrated Naruto _'Mood: Frustration elevating to anger' _He slowed himself down and slashed horizontally at Naruto's head, giving the boy plenty of time to duck. When he did, he picked up the pace again "Allow me to make it up to you with a new hair style"

Naruto yelped as he saw several locks of golden hair fall to the ground thanks to Sword's skilled hand. Growling like a wounded animal, he leapt at Sasuke, intent on beating him within an inch of his life.

Sword/Sasuke frowned. Naruto had picked up the pace considerably, and was actually starting to land glancing blows. While Sasuke may have been skilled in a lot of things, Naruto was physically a lot faster. This meant that not only was he getting hit more often, it also meant that Sword/Sasuke was having a rather difficult time striking Naruto! If he didn't want a repeat of that Tenten girl, he was going to have to finish this.

Naruto didn't know how it happened, but one moment he was about to blacken Sasuke's eye, the next, Sasuke had practically twirled around him. Naruto felt the tip of Sword's cold steel on the back of his neck, and could practically feel the smug radiating off the smirk he no doubt had.

"Well, that was rather entertaining. But sadly for you, it appears I am the victor." Sword/Sasuke said. "But that's not too surprising. In a straight up fight old boy you're simply out matched."

Unseen by Sword, Naruto's eyes widened. Sword had just given him the idea he needed to win this. Slowly, he lowered his arms, as one though he had given up. While Sword gloated though, Naruto was busy working the Sealing Wand's buttons.

Sword realized something was wrong when he felt a small burst of energy right near him. Looking down, he saw the head of the Sealing Wand was pointed at him, and glowing gold. Before he could move to knock out the boy, a blast of wind carried him straight into a tree, taking his breath away.

Standing, he saw Naruto whirl around and aim that infernal staff at him. Again and again concentrated air blasts tore up the training field towards him. Many he managed to deflect with his blade, the magnificent steel easily cutting through the air like… well air.

Sword humphed "How unsporting good sir! This isn't a gentleman's duel at all!" he caught the wind on his blade and reflected it back at its owner.

Naruto just gave a cocky grin as he rolled out of the way and responded as Sword ran at him "I beg to differ! You wanted me to fight you at my best right? Just like you fight at yours? Well I'm a ninja, and ninja's fight best by not fighting fair!" He leapt above Sasuke's head as Sword brought the blade down into the earth with enough strength to leave a crater. Looks like his words had had an effect on Sword.

As he landed, he blasted Sasuke in the back with another air beam, sending him sprawling. A quick flip of the thumbs changed the setting, and the Kyubi's head glowed to reflect the change. When Sword stood and slashed his sword, he found it wasn't wind he was cutting, but a cloud of sleeping powder.

Sword grunted in frustration. As long as Sasuke was holding him, he could control the body and keep it moving. But Sleep's powder had seriously inhibited his movements, as he could not longer work in tangent with Sasuke's psyche.

"Let's finish this!" Naruto cried, charging towards Sword. Sword tried to assume a defensive position, but his movements were to sluggish "Sorry about this Sasuke." Naruto apologized, making Sword wonder what he had planned.

"Hiyah!" Naruto screamed, moving the Wand like a golfer, with his target being… well let's just stay it was better Sasuke wasn't mentally in control, or it might have really, really hurt.

Sword on the other hand, nearly collapsed, his eyes watering as he took the brunt of the damage due to his control over Sasuke. As he looked up to call Naruto out on a cheap shot, his eyes were met with a glowing Kyubi face. "I win." Naruto said, and then fired.

The wind blasted Sword back, knocking him into a tree. As he slid down, Sasuke's grip on Sword loosened, and Naruto felt now was as good a time as any.

"I am the Card Captor, and I order you to return to your true form! Sword Card!" he cried, and Sword felt the magic of Clow Reed calling him home.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

"Damn…" Sword muttered with Sasuke's lips, his deeper voice bleeding into Sasuke's younger one as his hold on the Uchiha fell away. Slowly, golden lines of power flew from the sword towards Naruto's Sealing Wand, forming a familiar shape. As it did, the sword in Sasuke's hand seemed to dull. While the shape did not change, it did seem to lose some of its sheen and other worldly luster.

Had he been conscious, Sasuke would have been able to take note of the voice leaving his head, leaving his mind slightly quieter (though far from silent).

As Naruto grabbed the card, he raised his eyebrow at the unconscious Sasuke's sword. "Huh, I figured that would disappear too with you sealed Sword." he said, looking at the Card in askance. It was a testament to his adaptiveness that didn't feel at all foolish addressing a card in conversation.

**"That Sword is not really my true form, my Lord." **Sword said, his tired tone respectful, quite the change from the galavanting quality it had had earlier. **"When I first awoke, I did not have enough energy to manifest myself fully, so I took up residence in the closest sword I could find. From there, I simply changed it look like my real form, and imbued it with my powers." **he explained.

Naruto nodded, only partially getting it (one of these days he was going to have to educate himself a little), but glad to have an answer of some kind. "So, do you think Sasuke will remember any of this?"

Sword chuckled **"I have been with him for over a day my Lord, I think he will remember some of it. As for the time where I was possessing him fully… he might remember it, as a dream… but who is to say." **Sword paused, as though thinking over his next words carefully **"If you do not mind my asking, my Lord… would it be so terrible if he **did **know? After all, is he not your friend? Would thine task not be made simpler with the aid of a comrade?" **he asked.

Naruto sighed. He understood what Sword was saying, but he also remembered the necessity for secrecy where the Clow were concerned. "I'll think about it." he muttered, feeling compelled to have the last word. He turned to walk away… then thought better of it.

Walking over to Sasuke, he quickly shook the dark haired 'avenger' awake. The other teen looked up, blearily eyed at the blonde, confusion in his eyes. "Na-Naruto?" he asked, blinking, not understanding where he was. "Where am I?" he asked.

Naruto smiled at him "Training ground thirty-seven." he said, gesturing around them "You've been out here all night man. You should really go home… do you need help?" he asked, putting on his best 'concerned friend' face.

At the word 'help' Sasuke quickly shook his head and stood up, wobbling a little. "No… I'm fine." he looked at the sword in his hand, and quickly sheathed it "I just… I just really need some sleep." he said.

With that, he brushed past Naruto and began to walk back towards his home. He couldn't believe he'd worked himself to exhaustion… he hadn't done that in years. Did it have something to do with the sword? He looked down at the sharp steel blade, the moon casting enough light for him to see his reflection. For a moment, thoughts and ideas swam to the surface… a voice that had driven him to fight… Sasuke shook his head. Now he knew he needed some sleep.

Naruto watched him go, shaking his head at Sasuke's unfriendly attitude. Oh well. "So Sword…" he said, walking back towards his own apartment "Why don't you tell me more about yourself."

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Tenten looked up as the bell over her shop rang, and put away her 'Pointy Things Weekly' magazine, happy to help another costumer discover the beauty of sharp, deadly objects. She got even happier when she saw it was the same kid from earlier that same week, whom she had sold that odd sword too. She loved repeat costumers, because it meant she had done something right to earn their repeat business.

"Well well, look who's back! Don't tell me you're here to buy another sword" she asked jokingly.

"Uh-what? NO! I mean…" Sasuke flushed and looked away, gripping the sword tighter in his hand. When he had woken up after his training splurge, the voice in his head was gone (if only the others would follow its example). Sadly, it seemed to have taken his talent for swordplay with it. He knew he could use this thing a week ago, but now… it was pathetic. As much as he didn't want to admit it… "I need help." he said in a rush.

Tenten blinked, not expecting that. Maybe she didn't hear right "Come again?"

Sasuke sighed "I said… I need help." he repeated through grit teeth "You're the only person I know that's any good with weapons. So I was hoping…" he trailed off, and looked away. A part of his pride was hurt admitting someone was better at something then he was.

Tenten nodded "True, I am pretty awesome" she said, oh so graciously excepting the compliment "But why not ask someone like your sensei? Why little old me?" she saw Sasuke mutter something under his breath and resisted the urge to chuckle at him. He was cute when he was flustered.

"If you don't want to help you can just say so." Sasuke said. He was asking politely wasn't he? She didn't have to rub it in his face "I'm not gonna beg or anything." he muttered, turning to leave. In truth, she had a point. Why didn't he ask his sensei for help? Surely he would be a better choice then some genin? Maybe… but he was still kind of hoping Tenten would have said yes.

Tenten rolled her her eyes. _"Boys"_ she thought "Now hold on, I didn't say I wouldn't help." she told him, hopping over the counter. She swung her arm over his shoulder and began to forcibly lead him towards the training area out back "If you really need my help, how can I say no?"

Of course, all she could think about was the fact that, after training with her for over a year, neither her teammates nor her sensei would subject themselves to her when it came to weapons practice. At least, not by choice. And her father had long ago learned to limit his time with her when she was training with weapons due to her… over exuberance. Pansies, every last one them.

But now, she had Sasuke! The boy actually **wanted **her to teach him! That meant she could ask for something in return, like say… someone to practice her techniques on! Oh yes, this was going to be a **lot **fun….

Sasuke wasn't sure, but he was almost positive the room had gotten colder. Tenten's sudden maniacal cackling wasn't helping either.

**End Chapter 6**

_-Naruto; Card Captor- **OMAKES: A Better Catchphrase... **_

**"Alright Naruto, I'm sure you know why I called you here" **Keros said, floating/pacing in front of Naruto as they stood in a far off training field.

"Um... not really no. You just dragged me out of bed and brought me here." Naruto said, eyebrow twitching in annoyance. For heavens sake, he was still in his pajamas!

Keros just ignored his charges grumbled complaints **"I would think it was obvious. Today we will be fixing the greatest flaw in your style..." **he began immediately getting Naruto's attention. **"I am talking about, of course... A New Catchphrase!" **Keros shouted dramatically, pointing to the heavens with a grin that would have done a certain Green Beast Proud.

"Huh? What's wrong with my catchphrase? It's awesome! Belie-" He was cut off as Keros slammed into his mouth, keeping him from finishing.

**"Just trust me on this kid. If you ever want to get anywhere in life, you have to have a kick ass catchphrase. And right now, yours just isn't cutting it." **

Naruto huffed, but consented. For many minutes he sat pondering what new amazing catchphrase he could bring to the world.

And he sat there.

And sat there.

And sat there.

Finally, Keros snapped **"Geez kid! How hard can it be! Just think of something already!" **he whined.

Naruto threw up his hands "I'm sorry! I just don't know how to deal with something like this!"

No sooner had he said that then did a large fist smack him in the back of the head. _**"Oh no you don't kid! That's ours!"** _ Turning, he saw Ragnarok popping his knuckles menacingly, and even Crona was giving his best glare (which wasn't saying much)_**"Try that again, and you'll be hearing from our lawyers!"** _

Crona shuffled awkwardly "Please don't make him do it. I don't know how to deal with copyright litigation!"

Keros just sighed **"Maybe we should try this again later..." **

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

**For those of you keeping track at home, Naruto's current Card Count now consists of: **

**Windy, Fly, Rain, Float, Erase, Sleep, Sword.**

**Well there you go folks, Chapter Six. We got to see more (not insufferable) Sasuke. We saw a little bit of Shadow and Sarutobi and what they've been doing behind the scenes. We were also introduced to everyone's favorite weapons master, Tenten! And lastly we got Sword himself, the bold adventurer. He's a bit of a mix between old school Knight and modern explorer... at least's that's how I see him. You may see something completely different. **

**We even managed to fit an Omake in there! Poor Keros, will he ever teach Naruto the value of a good catchphrase?**

**Alright, if you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know by leaving a review. If you didn't sorry (but please no flames!), maybe next time. And if you liked this story, maybe you should try one of my others like...:**

**The Many Faces of Naruto Uzumaki  
>I Don't Know How to Deal with Youkai Academy!<br>Deadliest Character  
>Guardian of the League!<br>The Lantern Chronicles (The poll for the Next lantern is still open!)  
>Naruto In Hell<strong>

**All of these lovely stories await you just inside my profile! Go ahead, and take a look! **

**Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Once again I hope you liked it, and will review if you did. Next time begins the first major arch of the series... **

**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 6 - A Dangerous Mission Makes Dangerous Waves!  
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Until Next Time... _  
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	7. A Dangerous Mission Makes Dangerous Wave

**Good News Everyone, I'm back! And I come baring the gift of a new chapter! But before we get into that, let's answer some reviewer comments:  
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**darkWING360: Thank you, and you are correct.  
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**Dragon and Sword Master: Thanks, I figure if I go one personality at a time, I should be alright. Well, with this being the start of the Wave arch, you'll get an answer soon. Don't expect much from the Demon Brothers though, I'm more focused on Zabuza and Haku.  
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**drake202: Yeah, Sasuke would have made for an interesting Musketeer... or Zoro. I never saw much of Ronin warriors but I heard good things about it. There should be a channel like Boomerang, but for Anime.  
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**Fan of Fanfics21: Yeah, I wanted to do something for Sasuke that would make him seem more human, less emo-ish. And you're right, Surfs up!... If only I knew how to surf...  
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**1TroublesomeGuy: Yeah, I think one problem Sasuke suffers from is that things always come naturally to him. This was to show him that there are some things even he has to work for. And thanks for suggestions about certain cards.  
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**TheGreatLordQ: Thanks.  
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**blade of the night: Yup, that's me. And I would think most swords would be less annoying then Excalaber.  
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**tsukiyomi83: No prob.  
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**with an m16: Thanks. I don't think Sword will be flirting with the other cards. The way I see it, they're all like siblings, and they try to look out for each other. That's why Windy wasn't as mad at Shadow, he's still like a brother to her, and she's concerned. As for a prankster card hitting the Hyugas... maybe.  
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**Shin'en of the Chaotic Destiny: Thanks, took me a while to think how to end that fight.  
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**gamerman5603: Ok  
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**Baron von Nobody: Thanks, and don't worry, he will. I do have a vague plan for Big, but not until mid-chunin exams.  
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**kid omni-man: Including this chapter, the Wave arch will take four chapters. But don't worry about the Clow Cards... they aren't gonna let Naruto get away from them that easily.  
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**alteris: Thanks. I'm having a lot more fun writing Sasuke then I thought I would. And the battle between Shika and Shadow... well, you'll see.**

**Alright, thank yous to everyone who commented! This chapter marks the start of the Wave Arc! Including this chapter, I plan to have this arch last around four chapters. We'll see some pretty wild things in those later chapters, let me tell you. This chapter though, is more build up, and introduces a rather under appreciated Clow Card: The (in case you haven't guessed, skip this part) Wave. I would like state now; that the way I've written Wave's speech in kind of weird. Wave doesn't use punctuation, commas, or periods. Like a river, she just keeps running on. I have told you this to eliminate any confusion, and to prevent people from critiquing my grammar there.  
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**I've also sown in some references to various things, see if you can spot them all! I would have had this out earlier, but between a wicked head cold, an Art Project, and an English Paper, I've been rather bogged down. Thankfully though, I was able to get this done and ready for you! But enough about me, let's grab our surf boards and catch a big one as we dive right in to the next chapter of...  
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**Naruto: Card Captor **

****Chapter S**even: A Dangerous Mission Makes Dangerous Waves!  
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_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe. He was currently engaged in a staring contest of epic proportions: On one side, himself; the other: Team Seven. It had been going on for nearly five minutes, neither side backing down (and if his hearing wasn't playing tricks on him, the office staff was taking bets on who would win).

Team Seven was apparently quite convinced that they were ready for a bigger, better mission. The Haruno girl had nearly damaged his hearing when she'd shouted at him (gotta admit, for that alone the girl had to have a steel pair between her legs). Naruto of course was right behind her, shaking his fist and hollering about injustice and whatnot (nobody but Sarutobi seemed to notice the strange key necklace around his neck). The Uchiha didn't say anything, but the way he was glowering and muttering to himself while gripping his sword would indicate he agreed with his teammates (Not that he would say it out loud of course; Uchiha code and all). And Kakashi… had stood behind them reading his orange book. Curse him, he knew that Sarutobi wasn't allowed to read Icha Icha Paradise around the office!

"Now then… what exactly makes you think you should have a higher level mission?" he asked, taking his eyes off the beautiful orange book.

"How about the fact that every mission we've done up to this point barely qualifies as a chore, let alone a mission to be done by trained ninjas." Sakura said, her indignation at having to clean gutters and walk dogs overcoming the natural fear she should feel at sassing the Hokage.

"We've had to catch that damn cat more times then the four of us can collectively count!" Naruto said, shaking his fist. He'd mention the fact that he was the one who always got scratched, but since they healed up in seconds anyway it would just draw unnecessary questions.

"Also, I don't think you can afford to keep replacing that window every time you send us to the Human Resource officer." Sasuke mentioned, schooling his features into one of nonchalance. He didn't mention that it was mostly his fault the HR guy kept breaking the window. That guy really needed to stop asking about his 'inner feelings'.

Sarutobi sighed. Technically they were right, and they had done more then enough D mission to warrant a C… Oh what the heck. Pretty soon all the genin would be asking to go on better missions, and they'd never learn about the world if they didn't get the chance to explore it. Besides, they had Kakashi as a sensei. The man may be lazy, and perpetually tardy, and a pervert, but he was still a jounin. What was the worst that could happen.

Strangely, everyone in the room shivered.

"Alright, I suppose it is about time for you to get a higher mission. Kakashi, do you support your team?" he asked.

The silver haired scarecrow just looked up from his book and eye-smiled. "Oh I have the utmost faith in them, Hokage-sama."

"Well that settles it." he turned and riffled through some of the C-missions "Let's see… investigate so called 'ghost sightings at Karakura town? No… Security detail at the esteemed Youkai Academy? No… Ah, here we go!" he said, removing a particular scroll from the pile.

"Let's see here…" He said, purposefully drawing things out, just to see the looks of excitement grow one their faces. "Ah, yes, an escort mission." he said, turning to face his assistant "Please go and fetch Mr. Tazuna from the waiting room, tell him we've got a team for him."

Naruto started bouncing on the balls of his feet "So who's this Tazuna guy? Is he some foreign ambassador? A King returning to his homeland? Come on, tell me!" he begged.

Sarutobi sighed, "Actually…" at that point the door opened, revealing an old man in poor dirty cloths. He had on a wide brimmed hat, and his face was flushed from alcohol.

"This…this is the *hic* team I paid for?" he slurred "They don't look like they could guard a piggy bank. And that short one, with the goofy look on his face, is he even a ninja?"

Suffice to say, had Keros not been whispering death threats to him, Naruto was sure he would have jumped the guy and beaten him to death with the Sealing Wand. Instead, he just stood there and grit his teeth. "So… he's the guy we get to guard huh? Are you sure we can't take that investigation mission gramps?"

Sarutobi chuckled "Sorry Naruto. As I was saying, this is Tazuna. He's a master bridge builder in Wave country. Your mission is to escort him back to his home in Wave, and guard him while he finishes his master project." he explained, getting a round of nods. "Good, Kakashi, take it from here."

Kakashi nodded, putting away his precious "Alright, I want everyone to go home and pack up for a two week mission. Make sure you can carry it, because we're going to be in for a hike. Meet at the east gate in one hour." he turned to Tazuna "I assume you know where that is, right sir?" he asked. Getting a nod he eye-smiled "Great, alright team, go get ready for your first C Mission."

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto had triple checked everything before zipping up his bag. This was it, his first big outing outside the village. He wondered what it was like out there, in the rest of the world. Were the people different? Or would he hardly notice he'd left. Keros also admitted to being curious about the world he'd left behind so long ago, and was eager to see what had changed in his absence.

He wasn't the only one either, all of the Cards wanted to see the world. He'd been worried about who would look after Erase while he was gone, but she had insisted (in her own mute way) that she was coming as well. She had no intention of being left behind by her master while he went gallivanting about the world. She made that quite clear, and made quite the impression for someone who didn't talk.

So with all his cards ready to go, he locked up behind him and made his way downstairs. And if he was lucky… ah, there he was! "Hey, old man!" he called, getting the man's attention.

The man's face was even more wrinkled then the Hokage's, though he had more hair. It was a silver, near white color that he had slicked back over the top of his head. Naruto wasn't sure if the old man owned the apartment building or was simply the oldest tenant, but he'd told Naruto once to always tell him if he needed anything.

"What is is boy?" the old man said, looking up from his long curved pipe. He was sitting on the stoop, waiting, as he was each day, for his granddaughter to get back from school. He'd told the boy not to call him old, but Naruto never listened, and he had just given up trying.

Not at all put off by the old man's cantankerous nature, Naruto happily explained that he'd be gone on a mission for a couple of weeks, and asked if the Old Man would look after his apartment for him (which mostly amounted to making sure no one broke in while he was gone).

"Fine, fine" he said, finally lighting his pipe. Naruto smiled and went on his way "If you see that lazy granddaughter of mine, tell her I'm getting tired of waiting!" Naruto nodded. Apparently the Old Man worked at some kind of scrap yard on the edge of town, and he guessed the granddaughter helped him get around. Probably needed it at his age. Naruto had been there once, but it didn't look like there was much there. The whole place was just filled with grey scape metal. The only splash of color he'd even seen was a blue box off in the corner. Oh well, the old guy was nice, and Naruto was always happy to be nice to those that were kind to him.

He wondered if he would be the first one at the Gate?

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Just as Naruto headed to the Gate, the faucet in his kitchen sink shook as something worked its way up the pipes. Slowly, the handle turned, and a water spilled from the tap. But instead of hitting the bottom of the sink, as normal water under the influence of gravity would, the water instead pooled in mid-air.

This ball of water, shaping itself to look like an eye, looked over the apartment _"Are you there?" _a voice asked, though no one would be capable of hearing it if they were.

Receiving no reply, the water suddenly fell to the bottom of the sink, the tap turning itself off, leaving the apartment quiet….

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sasuke carefully lit the incense before sitting down in a meditative pose. In the back of his apartment, far away from where any guest may stumble upon it, was a small room. In that room was a small stand, two candles, and a picture. In that picture were the two people that Sasuke could claim he loved most in the world. And he would never see them again.

Sasuke bowed his head in prayer "Mother. Father. I will make you proud. I promise." he whispered. And he would too. He had dedicated his life to making sure that when his parents looked down on him, he would be someone they would be proud of.

Okay, so he wasn't perfect. He was antisocial, snarky, a little bit mean and some might even say unbalanced (though frankly he had no idea where they got that). But there were some things a man just couldn't let go. Murder was one of those things. And he was sure his parents would understand when he hunted Itachi down and strangled him with his own eye stalks!

Calm… inner peace… There…

He had already taken care of everything else. Well, it was really only the one thing. He had needed to tell Tenten he would be leaving. So that she knew not to expect him of course. Yeah. She had wished him luck on his first C Mission, and had relayed some memories of what her first had been like (They had simply protected an old watch maker named Azmuth while he finished his work), and given him some extra supplies she thought he might need.

He wondered if she'd miss him?

Gah! Sasuke shook his head, wondering how he could think such nonsense at a time like this. Anyway, he really needed to get going! He had already packed, he just needed to do one other thing. He finished his prayer and asked his parents to watch over him and (something he added so quietly he wasn't sure he had said it himself) his team. From there, he gathered up his things and made his way out of his apartment, locking up behind him. He had already talked to the super, and he'd promised to keep a good eye on it.

He wondered if he'd be the first one to the gate?

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Sakura sighed as she took one last look around her room. She had just put the last item in her backpack (an empty journal, in case she had any… interesting dreams). She'd be gone for quite a while, and had so little time to pack. Most of her time had been spent getting teary goodbyes from her mother, who was convinced Sakura wasn't ready for such a big step like leaving the village at such a young age (wow, so much for support and faith in her).

She had packed every piece of ninja equipment she owned for this trip. Granted, that wasn't a lot, but there was enough for the duration of the mission. She had also grabbed a couple of the family's first aid kits, just in case.

Stepping back and seeing that she had almost more clothes packed then supplies was a little bit of an eye opener. Shouldn't she be taking this more seriously? What if something did happen, and her lack of preparation cost her or the team? She knew it was unlikely, this was just a C-Mission, but she felt she should be doing more. She guessed that with nothing but D missions, she'd gotten complacent. When she got back, she'd have to find a way to start proving her worth as a ninja. Maybe get a weapon like Sasuke or Naruto (she wondered if they shopped at the same store…) and really, really buckle down.

Hopefully though, what she had would be fine for this little mission. With that thought, she turned and rushed out of the house, a final goodbye from her mother following her out the door.

Sakura ideally wondered if she'd be the first one to the gate…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The three arrived at the same time, a coincidence that was completely overlooked by the much greater surprise: Kakashi was already there! On time!…Early in fact!

"Um… Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, uncertain what to make of their perpetually tardy sensei being there on time. Naruto and Sasuke were equally perplexed.

Kakashi just eye-smiled "What? You didn't expect me to be late for a big mission did you?" he asked.

The stunned silence that greeted him was a resounding 'YES'. Kakashi just sighed, loving the faith his students had in him. Deciding to ignore the looks his students were giving him, he turned to his client "Well Mr. Tazuna, if you're all set…?" he trailed off, getting a nod in conformation. When he had it, he turned back to his team "Alright then everyone, let's hit the road.

The three shared a look, before each of them cast one last look at Konoha. They each had their own thoughts: What they would miss, who they would miss, but most prominently what they thought they might see. So, with a deep breath of anticipation, they walked past the village gates, leaving the Village Hidden in the Leaves behind. What wonders would await them? Only time would tell!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Oh! She was close, oh so close! She could tell, she felt Clow's Magic! She had to find it, she had to get to him… oh what was that! Where'd all these trees come from? Wait, where had it gone? And where was sister? Had she lost her? Wasn't she able to keep up… oh that's right! Sister said not to move! But how could she do that! She knew that Clow's Magic was right over… wait… where'd it go?

**Three Hours Later: **

This was not quite what they had in mind. So far they had spent all their time traveling along a single dirt road. Because they were escorting a civilian, they had to walk at a normal (read: slow) pace.

They walked in a simple diamond formation; Tazuna being in the center, with Kakashi behind him, Naruto on his left, Sakura on his right, and Sasuke taking the lead. There had been surprisingly little conversation, given that this team **Did **have Naruto on it. Sakura was sure he would have been running his mouth a mile a minute. Sasuke wasn't naturally a talker, and while Sakura was more then happy to have a one-sided conversation with the last Uchiha, even that could only last for so long. She had tried talking to Tazuna, but the old man had gotten progressively drunker until it was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other. Rather rude if you asked her… which of course no one ever did.

What Sakura didn't know was that Naruto was talking, but only in his mind, and only to things Sakura couldn't hear. Right now he was engaged in a lovely conversation with the Clow Cards about the things he was seeing. While the cards had some sense of the world around them, the world had changed a lot since they'd walked the earth, so this was just as new to them as it was to him. He had to admit, hearing them talk about Magic made him wish he could learn it. Maybe next time they were alone he'd ask Keros if it was possible for him to learn.

Finally Sakura grew so desperate to break the monotony that she had no choice but to attempt conversation with Kakashi-sensei. Hopefully she'd get a real conversation and not a series of enigmatic answers.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei." she started, getting his attention.

Kakashi looked up from his book, but did not respond, prompting her to continue "If Tazuna's village is in Wave, why not use ninjas from there?"

Kakashi blinked. It was a good question "Well Sakura, its because that they have no ninja of their own, as the land of waves has no ninja village in it. However, it is a part of the Land of Water so…

What proceeded was a twenty-two minute lecture on the geo-political state of the Elemental Nations, the Five Villages, the Kages, and the prominent land masses. Frankly it was downright informative… if you'd never heard of ninja and had fallen into their world from the sky with no knowledge. But for the three teenagers who had already learned all of this at the academy (even Naruto wasn't so brain dead as to forget the basics of his own country) it was a tedious bore. What on earth possessed the one-eyed man to tell them all of this? It didn't even really relate to what she'd asked him anymore!

The three each made a mental note to actively try not asking Kakashi-sensei open ended questions ever again…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

As the walk entered into its forth hour, it looked like there would be no relief from this tedium.

And then in the distance… the puddle.

It was such an ordinary thing… a puddle. Kakashi gave the thing a glance, and thought.. well we all know what he thought. Sakura gave the puddle no thought; after all what was the importance of a simple puddle? Sasuke noticed it, and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Something was off about that little pool of water, but he wasn't immediately sure why. Naruto would have gone the way of Sakura, had Keros not leaned down and whispered about how odd it was to see a puddle there; a covert way of telling him to be on alert.

And then…. they walked past the puddle. And nothing happened.

They moved on, the puddle unmoving as any collection of water. The teens unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

The next second, they heard a a grunt and saw a flash of movement from the corner of their eyes, all of them turning to see their sensei and mentor bound in chains. Before anyone had so much as a chance to cry out, the chains were pulled taught, and Kakashi was shredded into pieces.

His murderers? Two shinobi, clad in black cloaks, wearing a Kiri head band with a slash on it, designating them as missing-nin. Each had a large clawed gauntlet on one of their arms, and both looked like they knew how to use them. And now that the strongest ninja there was dead, it was time to turn their attention to the kids.

The two dashed towards the genin, revealing that the two were connected by the long sharp chain. As they rushed the kids, there was a moment when none were sure what to do. Keros, seeing his charge freeze up, gave the top of his head a good smack.

Naruto blinked, moving into action the same moment Sasuke did. The last Uchiha hurled a shuriken that pinned the chain to a tree, while Naruto aimed his staff and unleashed the fury of Windy to batter them around.

The two must have had a trigger in their gauntlets, because they freed themselves in a moment, though the one on the left did get knocked off his feet by Windy. He quickly regained his foot and charged Naruto. Naruto switched the controls on the Staff, and planned to let Erase at him. This man had killed Kakashi-sensei, why not let him taste oblivion? However, for better or worse, Naruto had slipped when changing the dials. Instead of Erase, it was Sleep that blasted out of the Kyubi's mouth. Granted, it was a powerful blast that would likely leave the man comatose if left untreated.

Sasuke took the other one (Sakura had 'valiantly' taking the position of standing in front of Tazuna), and tried to sweep him off his feet. But the black cloaked shinobi jumped and thrust his claw at him, forcing Sasuke to lean back. However, he was able to use his sword to deflect the claw into the ground, leaving the brother open for a shot to the kidney's. While the man grunted in pain, Sasuke backhanded him into a tree.

The missing-nin looked like he was ready to try again, when a figure materialized behind him. The next thing they knew, the sensei they thought they'd killed had them in a choke hold. Crud. It would take a miracle to get out of this…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Yes… there it was! So close! Now there was no escape! She'd found a body of water nearby for swift transport, and now she could finally get to the source of the Clow Magic! Hehehehehe!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Kakashi. He was so relieved to see his sensei hadn't, in fact, been brutally murdered. Now that he was here, taking these guys out had just gotten way easier. Naruto had to admit, he was kind of worried when he'd frozen up, but thankfully had managed to prove himself by kicking some serious ass, if he said so himself.

Kakashi eye smiled, keeping the the nin in a choke hold while eyeing the unconscious ninja in front of Naruto. "Very impressive Naruto, nice work." he turned to Sasuke "And Sasuke, nice Taijutsu" He turned to Sakura, and even Tazuna thought the smile looked strained "And Sakura… good job protecting the client. That is job one on this mission." though it was phrased as a compliment, Sakura deflated all the same. She knew she had been useless, did he really need to point it out?

Kakashi extracted some ninja wire from his belt "Now then, lets get these two tied up so we can ask them some ques-" Kakashi was cut off by the sound of roaring water. Kakashi stood straight up, looking around, knowing that the nearest body of water wasn't close enough to sound so loud. So that could only mean "Everyone watch out!"

There was a beat, and everyone froze, even the Demon Brother not under Sleep's spell (Gozu, if you're curious). And then with a crash, it was there: A wave of water breaking through the trees like someone had destroyed a dam. However, instead of wild and crazy like a random tidal wave, it was controlled and concentrated. And heading right for Naruto.

Naruto couldn't react in time, and so was swept off his feet immediately, only barely clinging to the Sealing Wand, knowing he was dead without it. But then things got worse.

Tazuna didn't know why he did it. But having seen the kid rush to defend him earlier had made him respect the kid a little. And seeing him get swept up by the water… it reminded him of another man he'd known so long ago. He'd just wanted to help. He grabbed the kid as he was being grabbed by the water with the intent of pulling him out, but got swept up in the current the apparently sentient water was making.

And in the next second they were gone, pushed past the tree line. Kakashi would have gone after them, but the Demon Brothers decided this was just the opportunity they needed. And when Naruto was stunned by the water, Sleep's spell had been broken. That meant that Gozu was up in a moment to join his brother.

Kakashi cursed, hoping that Naruto could hold on long enough for him to get him. Clearly there was a third ninja he couldn't see, and whoever they were, they were gunning for Tazuna.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto struggled to both keep his head above water, and keep Tazuna from banging into trees as the water swept they along. He could take being slammed into trees, because even if it hurt, he would heal way faster then the old man would. It didn't help that every time his head went below the water, he was sure he was hearing voices…

_"Oh wow I can't believe it I finally found him Man Master got old but hey wait if he's Master why does he have no power hey does that kid has the Sealing Wand in his hand why would he wait did Master get an apprentice or could it be oh my god master turned himself into a hot blond boy good for him I guess and I Hey hi Keros!" _

Naruto was saved from the rambling voice when he was suddenly jerked upwards by the back of his shirt along along with Tazuna. Looking up, he saw Keros beating his winds furiously, his strength having greatly increased since he woke up, and getting stronger with each card Naruto caught. Below them, the water surged and twisted, lengthening and becoming snake like, a large bulb of water on the end seeming to act like a head and 'looking at them'.

**"Well kid, looks like we've got another one our hands." **Keros said. Naruto would have panicked at Keros revealing himself, until he saw that, by some luck, Tazuna had been knocked unconscious.

That is an amazing coincidence, Naruto thought, before realizing what Keros said "What! You mean a Clow Card followed me out of the village!" he shouted, waving his arms in annoyance, which was not helping Keros at all.

The plushy finally had to set Tazuna down on a tree branch high above the ground before looking at Naruto with a droll stare **"Kid, the Cards are going to be drawn to you wherever you are. Now that you have the Sealing Wand, the Cards will always know where to find you, and they will be drawn into your proximity. They may not always engage you, but they will feel compelled to be within a certain distance of you." **Keros explained, before stopping **"At least, I think that's how it works. I guess there are probably some cards that won't come to you…"** his eyes moving back to the water that was circling the tree. He would be surprised that they hadn't been attacked yet, but considering who this was, he supposed it made since. She had always been rather polite, even if she was a chatter box.

"Alright…" Naruto said, steeling himself for the battle to come. He should have expected that things wouldn't be quiet, just because he was on a mission. "So, what are we dealing with?"

Keros noted the change in Naruto's voice, and was glad the kid was taking this seriously. **"That's Wave. She's a hyperactive spirit, who really doesn't know her own strength. She can control water, but she can't create it; there must have been a river nearby that she used to manifest herself." **Keros explained as quickly as he could. Wave had started to stretch her body out, trying to reach them.

Naruto just nodded, the first hint of a plan forming in his mind "Alright, I don't see any water around here. Let's try and spread her thin!" he said, before leaping from his perch and making a hand sign he hadn't made in a while "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Immediately the air was filled with a dozen Narutos falling from the sky. Each of them brandishing a Sealing Wand, but only one of them worked as anything other then a club.

As soon as he and his clones fell from the high reaches of the branch, Wave was already in action. Like a bizarre tree, her body sprouted a multitude of tentacles, each moving to try and catch the falling ninjas. Some of the Narutos batted the water tentacles away, and started bouncing around to confuse the liquid monster. Others weren't so lucky, and were caught before quickly getting popped by the water's strong grip.

Naruto flipped over the arm that came his way and headed for the base of the 'tree'. Pointing his Wand at it, he called forth Windy's power; which shot from the wand and hit the trunk full force. The ripple traveled up the whole of Wave's body and she popped like a ballon, the water that made her up coming down in like rain.

_"Hey! Naruto!"_ speaking of Rain, the clow spirit had been trying to get his attention ever since he'd relayed the plan to the rest of the cards. _"Stop ignoring me, dammit!"_ He'd just been a little busy to hear her out.

"What, Rain? I'm kinda busy here!" Naruto snapped back, nearly being thrown off his feet as the water all around him started to coalesce back into a body. Looks like this wouldn't be as easy as he had hoped. The water had just wrapped around his legs, and was keeping him from jumping away.

_"Let me out! I know what to do!"_ Rain cried frantically, even as she saw her new master unleashing another blast of Wind at it, but Wave would put herself back together faster then the idiot could shoot.

Naruto would have balked had he not been so busy. He'd freed his feet, but now one of his arms was caught, and water was coiling around him like a snake trying to give a bear hug! "I hardly think **more **water is what we need right now!" he said exasperatedly.

Rain cried in frustration; why would this idiot not listen! _"Naruto, please!" _she said, her voice taking on a tone Naruto had never heard her use before _"I know I can maker her stop but you have to trust me! Please…"_ she said, trying to force her way out of the Sealing Wand. Sadly, that wasn't the way the Wand was designed. It required the user's permission. Naruto had to give her permission to intervene.

Naruto blinked, not even noticing as the water drew itself closer to him, though the crushing pressure brought him back to reality. "Ok" he said, simply. He considered the Clow Cards to be a part of his family (however odd that sounded), and he knew he had to trust them. "If you say you can do it Rain, I believe you." he said, using his unbound hand to change the dials on the wand.

The Kyubi's eyes flashed blue, and a large cloud billowed out of the mouth. That cloud quickly took the shape of a familiar girl, and boy did she have fire in her eyes.

_"Wave!"_ she shouted, hands on her hips. The water creature stopped, and turned its 'head' to look at Rain, its whole body stilling as it recognized a fellow Clow Card. Then, like an uncoiling spring it leapt from Naruto and encased Rain, who looked just as surprised as Naruto did.

Naruto was about to attack, but Rain held up her hand and stopped him. She opened her mouth to speak, but only bubbles came out. Clearly, Wave wasn't listening, even as Rain tried to talk to her two more times. Finally, Rain lost her patience. Raising her hand inside the water bubble, she snapped her fingers.

Above the creature, a cloud began to form. A cloud made of the nearest water source: Wave's body. As the cloud got bigger, Wave got smaller; until finally she was closer to Naruto and Rain's size then a towering water phantom.

Wave tilted its head confusedly, and Rain sighed _"You were doing it again Rain. I've tried to tell you, you need to listen more."_ Wave bowed her head, embarrassed. _"Now I think you owe someone an apology"_ she said sternly, pointing to Naruto.

Wave moved towards Naruto slowly, tentacles coming up and slimming to resemble hands. Naruto looked to Rain, who nodded, so Naruto didn't move as Wave placed the water over his ears.

_"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry I didn't mean to I just got so excited 'cause I woke up and I didn't know where I was and I was like wow this place is so amazing I can't believe it and then sister said we needed to stay safe until Father Clow came and got us and then I felt the Sealing Wand and I thought he was nearby and what could it hurt to come to him so I left but there was no water for a long time so I was invisible but then I found this lake and then I really really really really wanted to say hello so I ran as fast as I could but I may have run to fast because I think I knocked that old guy unconscious hey is that Father Clow wow he got old oh please don't tell him I said that but wait if he's Father Clow why do you have his Sealing Wand did you take it from him wait no you wouldn't do that sister Rain likes you oh are you Father Clow you look so young that's okay its alright to have some work done when you're your age"_ Wave stopped expecting Naruto to have followed that long train of thought.

"Um…" Naruto started intelligently "I'm not Clow Reed… sorry." Wave tilted her head, confused "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I opened the Book of Clow, and Keros gave me the Sealing Wand.

Wave said nothing for a long time, and all Naruto heard was the sound of water circulating through her body, and the sound of his own heart. Then Wave's body vibrated, like she was sighing _"I guess that means that Father Clow went to take the Long Sleep huh"_ she said, the clearest he'd heard her yet.

"Yeah…" Naruto said, guessing how she was probably feeling "he did. I'm sorry."

_"Why?"_ Wave asked _"Its not your fault and we all have to go sometime and Clow Reed was really happy when I saw him last so I guess he was probably happy when he took the Long Sleep but thanks for being concerned I guess if sister Rain and Keros like you you must be okay and I kind of like you too you seem really nice and you protected that old guy I hope he's okay I didn't mean to hurt him please don't be mad at me!"_ Wave said, getting faster and faster with each word.

"Okay, okay!" Naruto said, holding up his hands to calm her down "I'm not mad. It was an accident, so I forgive you" Naruto said, and as soon as he did, he found himself in a full force hug that he worried would make his back crack.

_"Oh thank you thank you thank you-" _

_"Wave…" _Rain said warningly off to the side, which got Wave to calm down and let go of Naruto. Wave took a step back and looked at Naruto._ "You can go a head and seal her now, she's ready to see the rest of us."_ Rain explained.

Naruto nodded, giving a smile to the patient Wave. Then, with what was quickly becoming practiced ease, he sealed the Wave card. He turned to Rain, who looked very satisfied with herself. He dismissed her, and watched as she turned to smoke and flew back into the Sealing Wand. Then, he placed the newly acquired Wave card into the Wand, knowing that right now Wave would be getting a warm reception from the rest of the gang.

The quiet clam was broken by the sound of snoring. Naruto looked up to see Tazuna still in the tree, sleeping off both his alcohol and possible concussion. Once Keros got him down from the tree, he'd have to carry him back to the others.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Naruto got the surprised of his life when Sakura hugged him when he walked back to his team with Tazuna slung on his back. No matter what she may have thought of him, that didn't mean she wanted to see him hurt. Naruto explained that he'd filled the 'water summon' with exploding tags and blown it to kingdom come. Thankfully he'd substituted with a clone to keep him and Tazuna safe. Kakashi applauded Naruto's use of technique, and Naruto felt his heart ache a little as yet another lie was stacked on top of the others. He was beginning to wonder how long he could keep this up…?

Kakashi had managed to defeat the Demon Brothers, with a little help from Sasuke, and had them tied up to a tree with Chakra sealing rope. The one eyed man had even had the opportunity to interrogate them a little bit, and what they had to say gave him a couple of questions to ask Tazuna. Once the old man was woken up, he found himself facing a rather irate group of ninjas.

"Hello Tazuna" Kakashi said, rather pleasantly, which only made the old man all the more afraid. "I was just having a pleasant chat with our new friends, the Demon Brothers over there" he says, pointing at the bound assassins "and they told me some very interesting things… like how they were hired to kill you." Kakashi put a hand on Tazuna's shoulder, in what to an outsider might appear to be a comforting gesture, but to those taking part, it was most certainly not. "Now, Tazuan…. I think there might be something you're not tell me." he eye smiled "And I'd really like to know what it is."

Maybe it was the way he asked, all polite and nice. Maybe it was the feeling of guilt he had about asking these kids to risk there lives. Or maybe it was the pressure Kakashi was putting on his shoulder. Either way, Tazuna the bridge builder cracked like an egg.

"Ok, so I lied! I didn't have enough money for a higher ranked mission!" he cried.

Kakashi took his hand off Tazuna "And who exactly is trying to get you? They must be someone wealthy to have hired assassins like these…"

Tazuna sighed "His name is Gato" he answered, making Kakashi go wide eyed at the name of the famous shipping tycoon.

"Tell me everything" he said, his voice deadly serious.

So for the next half hour Tazuna explained that Gato was a greedy dick who had taken over Wave country, and was bleeding the land dry with his evil ways; which included everything from extortion to slave trade, and all sorts of other nasty, horrible things. Tazuna then went on to guilt trip them about how he'd likely be horribly murdered, along with his family (assuming they weren't sold into slavery and prostitution). But in no way should they feel obligated to help him. **(Seriously, we all know Tazuna's backstory, so I'm not going to be in depth with it)**.

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. No matter what Tazuna said, this mission was still more advanced then they'd signed on for. He wasn't sure how his team would fair against the enemies to come. However, he also knew the egos that made up his team, so he figured they at least deserved a choice:

"Alright team, its up to you. Do we stay on, and finish the mission; or do we go back to the village?"

The three genin of team seven shared a look. They knew this would be hard. They knew this would be dangerous. And yet…

"I'm in" Sasuke said, his Uchiha pride not allowing him to quit halfway through. Besides, this would be a good training experience, and he could not allow a little thing like the high probability of death slow him down.

"Me too, believe it!" Naruto shouted giving a fist pump (and getting smacked on the head by Keros for using his catch phrase). Naruto had always had a strong sense of right and wrong, and he didn't think he could live with himself if he didn't help the people of Wave.

"I-I'm in too!" Sakura said, though she sounded much more nervous then her teammates. Unlike them, she didn't have a famous bloodline, or a special weapon and a butt-ton of chakra. But maybe this would be a chance to prover herself, both to her team and to herself, that she deserved to be here.

Kakashi nodded, having guessed this would be the outcome. Looks like they were headed to Wave after all. Before they left, he made sure to send a note back to the village to pick up the Demon Brothers. Didn't want them breaking free and coming to finish the job.

And so, Team 7 and Tazuna set off for the Land of Waves, and were determined to face whatever lied ahead, head on!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

**Some Time Later: **

Gozu and Meizu awoke a few hours later, and found to their chagrin that they were bound in chakra suppressant rope. How had it gone so wrong? It was supposed to be a simple job; kill one old man, get paid, that was it! Who would have thought those brats would prove to be so tough? It was actually very embarrassing; what would the boss say?

Oh Kami! The Boss! What was he gonna do when he found out? Would he kill them? Or have his freaky little side-kick put them on ice permanently? Of course that was assuming Konoha didn't kill them or hold them captive until they could be sent back to Kiri… where they would then be executed as traitors.

It was as they contemplated their future that a thick fog rolled in, surrounding them and obscuring everything else from view. As it closed in, the brothers shivered. Gozu turned to Meizu "Think this is Zabuza?"

Meizu looked back "Must be, you know he loves this dramatic shit" he whispered back. Of course there was only one way to find out "Hey Zabuza-san is that you?" he called out to the fog.

All was silent for a moment; and then _"Where is she?"_

The Brothers looked at each other. Had they misheard?

_"Where"_ the voice said again, sounding agitated _"Is. She." _the brothers weren't sure, but it looked like the mist was roiling and actually getting closer.

"Who?" Gozu asked, the more talkative of the two (also, conversationally, the dumber). "We don't know what you're talking about."

"But" Meizu picked up where his brother left off, hoping to turn this to his advantage "If you let us go, we can help. Plus, I'm sure our boss would be more then happy too-"

_"Shut. Up."_ the voice interrupted. There was a long pause _"I know she was here… but now her aura is gone. What happened? Where did she go? I promised big sister I would protect her!"_ another pause _"I can't waste my time here anymore."_ the voice got colder, and the brothers felt an instinctual fear, and began to struggle all the harder against their bonds as the voice spoke for a final time _"Good-bye. I will try to make this as painless as possible." _

And then the fog closed in, and the screaming started. The brothers struggled, but by the time the mist that composed the malevolent fog had eaten through their bindings, it was certainly to late for them.

A minute later, the mist moved on, leaving behind a spot without trees, grass, or topsoil. The only thing out of place for anyone to find was a pair of horribly burnt and corroded skeletons.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

**For those of you keeping track at home, Naruto's current Card Count now consists of: **

****Windy, Fly, Rain, Float, Erase, Sleep, Sword**, Wave**

**Well everyone, I hope you all enjoyed that. The journey to Wave country has truly begun now! We got to see more Sarutobi, a look at Team 7's lives at home, and we made fun of Kakashi's episode long speech about the World of Naruto's geography and politics. Finally, we got the Demon Brothers and Wave. Wave was fun to write, for me, because she strikes me as this kid on a sugar high that can't really focus on anything for too long. She means well, and doesn't mean to cause trouble, but... Finally, we got a taste of what's following on Naruto's heels as he heads off into the next chapter. **

**Alright, if you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know by leaving a review. If you didn't sorry (but please no flames!), maybe next time. And if you liked this story, maybe you should try one of my others like...:**

**Guardian of the League  
>Deadliest Warrior, Season X<br>Deadliest Character  
>The Many Faces of Naruto Uzumaki<br>I Don't Know How To Deal With Youkai Academy  
>The Lantern Chronicles<br>Naruto In Hell**

**All of these lovely stories await you just inside my profile! Go ahead, and take a look! **

****Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Once again I hope you liked it, and will review if you did. Next time**, things really get dicey as Team 7 meets up with not one, but TWO deadly foes, and Naruto finds that his secret may just be exposed!  
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**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 8 - Beware the Assassin and the Mist!  
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Until Next Time... _  
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	8. Beware the Assassin and the Mist

**Um... Hello everyone. Wow, it has been a long time hasn't it I haven't seen you guys in quite a while. I apologize for not updating quicker, but... well Real Life is a pain. And now that the Summer is over, time is even more constrained. I noticed that I'm not the only author who's dropped below the radar for a while now. Hopefully this chapter, and subsequent updates make up for it. Now before I continue, let's take a look at some reviews:  
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**1TroublesomeGuy: Ha, I somehow don't think he'd be happy about that.  
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**Scotty77: Glad to hear it.  
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**Baron von Nobody: Thanks. I am going to have some fun with Yue, when he does eventually appear. It won't be what anyone is expecting!  
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**Dragon and Sword Master: Yes, Mist would love to get Naruto alone to have a... chat with him. Also, yeah, I noticed that when I get into 'the zone' I get a little over ambitious and don't check as well as I should. As for whether they live or die... I'm bouncing both ideas around.  
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**drake202: I figure I will have Naruto learn to use the cards in such a way, but not for a while, that'll give him something to learn during those training arcs.  
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**with an m16: Yeah, I like writing Wave, and she's definitely the most happy go lucky of all the cards. Kakashi cares for his students, equally. No favoritism here!  
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**9foxgrl: Thanks. What! Who told you... I mean... I have no idea what you're talking about.  
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**CalcBoy91: I actually don't plan on having Watery show up this arch. And Mist has always been able to do that. In Card Captor Sakura, Sakura uses them Mist to eat through solid steel bars, so that power is canon.  
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**Toria-Neko: Yes. A walking target surrounded by people who have no idea what's coming.  
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**YoukoTaichou: Really? I suppose, I always picture Armstrong from FMA.  
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**The Keeper of Worlds: Thanks. Yeah, Mist doesn't play around.  
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**Sekishiki: Well welcome aboard! I don't have much of a pairing in mind right now, but Tomoyo was sort of a cameo thing. I don't plan on pairing her with Naruto.  
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**Animeguy1101: Good job, you got all of them but one: When Tenten makes reference to a watch maker named Azmuth, that is a reference to Ben 10 (the Omnitrix that Ben wears was made by an alien named Azmuth). And yes, that time is now!  
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**turtlefan16: Glad you like it. Yue won't be around for a while, and I plan on taking a rather unusual approach with him.  
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**OH! Did you guys know that this story is on the Naruto-Crossover Recommendations Page on TV Tropes? Yeah! I know right! I am so honored! The only thing better then that, is the story actually having a TV Tropes Page of its own...So... you know... if anyone wants to make one... That'd be SO AWESOME!  
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**Many of you were able to guess the card for this chapter (How?! I thought I was SOOOO subtle!), but for those who didn't (like all two of you), I won't spoil it. This chapter introduces us to Zabuza, Haku, and we'll have a startling reveal! What is it? You'll have to read and find out! I'll talk to you all later, it's time to begin the long awaited...  
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**Naruto: Card Captor **

****Chapter Eight: Beware the Assassin and the Mist! **  
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_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

All was quiet as the rowboat cut through the water. The motor had been shut off once they'd reached the halfway point. When asked, the rower had admitted to fearing alerting Gato's men to their presence. Tazuna was very grateful to his old friend for taking such a risk in the first place.

Keros had been forced to keep silent to, and was unable to talk to Naruto while they sailed through the fog. He didn't like it here; the swirling mists were disconcerting, and felt somewhat unnatural. And he wasn't sure, but he could swear that, on the edge of his senses, he felt some of Clow's magic. Was a Clow Card following them? He didn't know, and he couldn't tell Naruto to warn him. If a card was following him, it would be more trouble then usual. They'd gotten lucky with Wave, and no one had seen them. But if they were forced to battle one now, then their secret would be out!

Slowly the boat ground to a halt, allowing the passengers to disembark. Tazuna whispered a few words to the rower, who quickly shoved off the bank and retreated back into the fog.

When he was completely hidden from view, the ninjas quickly formed a tight guard formation around the bridge builder, and began heading towards his home as quickly as they were able. For Keros, this was maddening. He was almost certain he felt a Clow Card coming up behind them, but knew the slightest movement to warn his thickheaded charge would alert the others!

_'oh… whoever it is… I hope it's one of the friendly ones!' _he thought, reaching out desperately with his senses. While all the Clow Cards were basically good, on their own they had a tendency to… well… cause trouble; some more then others. That was another reason to fear an encounter now. While Naruto was skilled in fighting magical spirits, and was more then capable of using the Clow Cards he'd captured (who, if he was correct, seemed to be growing very… fond of their new master), the others were not, and may get injured.

But for now, there was nothing he could do, and so he was forced to play the waiting game

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Shinji the rower had been going for about five minutes after he'd dropped off Tazuna, when suddenly the thickest fog swirled around him, obscuring his view of all else. But something was strange about this fog, something… unnatural. It seemed to sizzle and crackled with energy, as though it was actually alive!

_"Where…"_ a voice hissed from the mist. Okay, maybe it was alive. _"Where is he…"_ the voice whispered in annoyance. Shinji clutched his lucky paddle to his chest, and started praying that whatever water spirit was accosting him didn't hurt him to badly.

Mist mentally rolled her eyes, but tried to force herself to calm down. She could tell this man was guilty of no crimes, so she wouldn't have an excuse if she burned him in his boat like she'd done with the two criminals. This was why she didn't like dealing with people, give her a nice animal any day, thank you very much. They didn't talk back, were easy to train, were often adorable…

Mist shook her head, realizing she still had a cowering grown man before her. With a sigh, Mist tried to think how best to phrase the question. She realized as she'd followed the only path on the road that not only was Wave gone, but her magical signature had vanished. Now this could only happen two ways: Either she had died (which was impossible… she hoped), or she had been Sealed. Now, to her knowledge (which was admittedly quite out of date), only one thing could seal a Clow Spirit, and that was the Sealing Wand. Therefore, whoever had the Sealing Wand, had Wave.

So, with a wave of her hand, the mist congealed, forming the shape of a familiar bird-headed staff "Have you seen… this." she said, slightly annoyed by the raspy effect her voice got when in fog form.

Shinji blinked, glad he wasn't being struck down. Staring hard at the foggy staff, he tried to recall if he'd ever seen anything like it. But he hadn't! The only thing that came close was…

"Well…" he gulped, feeling the whole fog brace itself in anticipation "I saw a young boy with blonde hair with a staff sorta like that in by boat not long ago but-" before he had the chance to point out that the boy was carrying a fox head staff, not a bird, the Mist interrupted him.

_"Where! When!"_ it snapped, sounding anxious.

Shinji pointed over his shoulder towards the secret spot Tazuna had asked him to drop him off at. No offense to his friend, but no one had said anything about dealing with angry spirits! "That way, just up the bank… about five minutes ago!"

The whole fog shuddered in jubilation. Then, as though a mighty wind had blown through, the fog moved with lightning speed where Shinji had indicated, leaving the rower alone once again.

Mist grinned, no easy feat in her insubstantial state. She was so close! She didn't know how this boy had gotten his hands on Master Reed's prized Staff, but she would make him pay dearly for both its theft and the kidnapping of her sister!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

"It's time" came a muffled voice. The owner's face was heavily bandaged, hiding most of his features. He had been watching the target from afar for awhile now, and he felt this was the best time to strike. He recognized the jounin as Sharingan Kakashi; who'd have thought such a famous ninja would take on a couple of brat students. It was almost a shame he was going to kill them all. Almost.

"Zabuza-sama can't I come with you?" Haku asked, looking at him with her big chocolate brown eyes.

"No." He said simply, turning away before she could use more of that stare.

"Pleeeaaassseee" She drew the word out, leaning closer, pouting. Zabuza rolled his eyes and ignored her, even as he repressed a shudder as the drop in temperature that accompanied his apprentice increased, and frost started to form on the wood around them.

This never would have happened a few weeks ago. Haku had been the perfect obedient tool. But then all of a sudden she'd flipped her lid! Not only had her personality taken a turn, but her powers had also increased to insane levels. She hardly even needed hand-signs anymore! It was only because of her unbreakable loyalty and usefulness that he didn't end her for the obvious threat she posed. Well, that and… maybe because he… thought of her as family, and the only real companion he had (but if you tell anyone that he would not only deny it, he would shove his sword up your ass!).

"No." he said firmly, shaking himself out of his thoughts "Remember the plan." and with those final words, he vanished.

"Darn." Haku said, her voice once again becoming monotone again as she settled into her tree to watch the show. She briefly winced as a sharp pain laced through her mind; something that had been happening for a while now, but which she wrote off as her body adapting to her knew powers.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

A rustle in the bushes put everyone on edge, and it was only Keros presence that kept Naruto from blasting the bush to kingdom come with Windy.

Sadly, Tazuna had no such restraint; and had been on edge ever since the Demon Brothers incident. With a startled yelp he tossed his sake bottle at the bush; which resulted in a startled cry and a frightened hare bolting out from under its cover.

As one, the four ninja (and one plushy) turned to glare at Tazuna.

"Hehehe… oops" he said sheepishly, scratching his head.

Kakashi shook his head _'Civilians…'_ he thought, before his mind took another look at the hare _'Wait… that thing's fur… it's the wrong color! That can only mean-'_ That's when he heard a noise just barely on the edge of perception "Everyone get down now!" he shouted, pulling Tazuna to the ground with him as he ducked. His students did the same, just in time to avoid a giant flying sword that swooped in overhead and would have split them all in half had they not listened.

The blade slammed through a few trees before coming to a halt. As Team Seven stood a flicker of moment caught their eyes just as a tall shirtless man landed lightly on the handle of the blade.

The man looked over his shoulder to gaze down on them, and as soon as he did, Kakashi's visible eye went wide with recognition. "Get behind me. Now." he said, his voice deadly serious. The genin watched as the sensei's hand went to his headband and, for the first time since they'd known him, lift it to reveal a single, blood-red eye.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Keros did his best to follow the conversation that went from there. Apparently, the kid's sensei was some hot stuff ninja with a reputation, while the shirtless guy was also famous… for killing his entire class. Jeez these ninja were violent!

Anyway, things had basically devolved once the guy asked for the old man and was rejected. After that, a thick fog obscured everything, except for the guy's (Zazu wasn't it? He really shoulda been paying more attention) voice.

All of a sudden: BOOM! There the guy was behind the kids! Not even Dash moved without making SOME noise.

The kid moved on reflex, his hands channeling the power of Clow's old wand by sheer instinct. Keros was proud to say he was impressed with the kid. A blast of wind struck the underdressed ninja in the stomach hard enough to make him double over, while at the same time Keros saw the kids sensei appear with a knife in the guys back.

Well, no matter who struck first, the guy wasn't even there, and just dissolved into a puddle. Both the scarecrow and the kid were surprised, and Keros didn't blame them. Cloning spells weren't really common in Clows time, the closet being the Mirror Card.

The sensei was suddenly blindsided by a punch the face, his body sailing towards the trees that lined the road. The guy looked at Naruto, more annoyed then angry. Probably didn't expect a genin to destroy his clone. Looks like he wanted payback, and wanted to get it with that big ass sword of his.

Time seemed to slow down for Keros, the blade was coming down straight towards Naruto's head at such speed, the weight of the blade might split the kid right in half. No way could the kid get out of the way fast enough. Maybe the kid could try using Windy again, but there just wasn't enough time.

There was only one option. Normally he'd call himself crazy, but it was the only way. He'd do it for the kid, secrecy be damned!

And with that thought, Keros narrowed his eyes and braced himself…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Stare. That was all anyone could do. Stare.

Naruto stared. Sakura stared. Sasuke and Tazuna stared. Zabuza especially stared.

What were they staring at?

Zabuza's sword had been blocked by a small flying plush toy flying inches above Naruto's head.

How is this possible you may ask? Well Keros, as the Guardian of the Clow Cards, was endowed with certain magical powers. At full strength, he was actually a large flying lion that could breath fire and stuff. That said, with the scattering of the Cards spirits to the four winds, he wasn't strong enough to assume his full form.

However, with each card Naruto captured, a bit of his former power returned. Currently, the kid had gotten eight. Not a lot considering how many were left, but it was enough to increase Keros strength and durability. There was also the fact that the Zabuza holding the sword was a water clone, which were only a tenth Zabuza's actual strength. Sure nobody else knew it was a clone (well, Kakashi might), but that didn't change the heroic nature of the deed any!

Oddly enough, it was Sasuke who acted. Sorta. Against his will, the boy's hand grabbed the blade at his hip and lashed out, slicing at Zabuza's back. But instead of blood, a trail of water dripped down, right before it turned back into a puddle.

All was quiet for a moment.

"…Naruto?" Sakura asked, looking from her blonde teammate to the floating plushy "Just what… **is **that?" admittedly it was cute, and it was only due to the life threatening situation that she didn't hug it to her chest with all her might.

Keros scratched his head, not sure what to say. After all that had happened, it had been him that screwed up and revealed his existence instead of Naruto. **"Uh… well you see…" **he mumbled, not sure where to begin.

Kakashi took a few steps towards his team and client, but his eyes were locked on the creature hovering over Naruto. It was… amazing. Not just the creature itself, but the aura around it. His Sharingan spun at dizzying speeds, memorizing ever inch of the creature and the strange energy it was putting off that was visible only to the red eye.

Of course, he ended up so mesmerized that he only just had time to turn and block a a kick that sent him skidding across the ground. As he stood, Zabuza was on him, trading blows back and forth and pushing him back.

As they fought they ended up on top of a lake by the road, hands locked trying to push each other down. Neither were willing to let go, lest they give their opponent the opportunity to use a weapon or jutsu.

Sadly, Kakashi had been tricked. The Zabuza in front of him suddenly exploded in a shower of water, sending Kakashi stumbling back. As he did, his Sharingan noticed the water around him moving irregularly; and it was at that moment he realized he'd been set up.

The water all around him sprung up and formed a perfect sphere, trapping him inside. Looking up, he saw Zabuza standing there with his hand on the water bubble, his chakra circulating through it and keeping him imprisoned.

"Water Prison Jutsu" he said simply, smirking behind his bandages. Turning to the group of genin he remarked "I don't know what kind of summon that is kid, but if you know what's good for you, you'll hand over the old man."

"No!" Kakashi shouted, getting his teams attention "Take Tazuan and run!" he said, making his team gape "This battle was over the moment he caught me, but he can't move away from here to pursue you!"

Team Seven shared a look. They knew that staying might be a very bad idea. But they also knew-

"Those you break the rules are trash." Sasuke said, just loud enough to be heard.

"But those who abandon their comrades are worse then trash!" Naruto finished, a grin spreading over his face. He gripped the wand a little tighter; no matter how bleak things were, he would never back down, and he knew his teammates (both Clow and human) would be there with him.

Zabuza repressed a chuckle. These kids were idiots. They had no idea what being a real ninja was all about. He considered breaking them by telling them the cold hard truth, but frankly he felt like he was already wasting his time. With a single gesture, the water beside him gathered into another duplicate, which quickly charged the genin.

For a fraction of an instant, Sasuke froze, having not expected an attack again so quickly. What could he do? He was an Uchiha, sure, but he was also a genin! What could he possibly do against-

_'Oi! Enough dallying lad!'_ Sasuke felt his arms move of their own accord, tightening his grip and shifting his stance.

**Oh no, not this guy again!**

_**Didn't we already get rid of him?**_

Despite these strange thoughts ringing through his mind, Sasuke felt himself moving forward. Wait! WHAT?! Why was he moving towards the water clone?!

_'Toughen up lad, and banish fear from your heart! If thou art to succeed, you must be firm of conviction! Your team needs you, now more then ever! Would you let that brutish ogre kill this decrepit old man? No? Then HAVE AT HIM!'_

Sasuke burst away from his teammates towards the charging clone, his eyes slightly glazing over. Had Naruto been able to sense the subtle magics in the Sealing Wand, he would have felt Sword's magic pulse and flit towards Sasuke a moment before he'd run.

Sasuke saw Zabuza's eyes widen an inch. Good, surprise was always a good weapon to have on your side. Zabuza raised his sword, and made to split Sasuke in half from head to loins.

But from the moment he moved, time seemed to slow down for Sasuke. Thoughts flooded his mind, and a voice that didn't quite sound like his own seemed to be whispering in his ear…

**Look at the size **_of the blade… made more for crushing then cutting that is…. the weight does _**most of the wor**_k for him_**. The flat**_ of the blade is quite large and can be used for as a shield, _**but we can work with that.**_ The _**amount of momentum i**_t must take to move such a large blade… _**Of Course! **_The plan is simple! _

Sasuke's face broke into a cocky smirk "Fool!" he snapped, his blade coming up and connecting sharply with the side of Zabuza's cleaver. Though Sasuke didn't have enough strength to stop the blade, he could muster up enough force to drive the blade to the side slightly. From there, Zabuza's own strength and the blade's momentum did the rest.

Zabuza's clone couldn't believe his eyes. This little brat had just diverted his blade into the ground with a single swipe. How? This little punk didn't look nearly old enough to know how to pull off a move like that with such precision.

Apparently Sasuke was just as surprised as Zabuza, cause he was just standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

'I can't believe I really did it!'

_'Holy Shit That Was Awesome!' _

_**'Look at his face! He is pissed!' **_

'Yeah! Hey wait a sec-'

Sasuke's shock would be his undoing though, as he didn't dodge the punch to the nose that Zabuza gave him. Internally, Sword was groaning in frustration. If he had full control that brute would have lost his arm! As it was he was keeping Sasuke from feeling the strain on his muscles from moving at speeds his body simply wasn't use to.

As he watched his clone punch the genin, Zabuza growled internally. He really didn't want to stand around all day holding this one eyed loser hostage. He had expected the clone to decimate the genin easily, then kill the old man. Now it looked like even that was going to be a bother. Why was nothing going his way lately? Guess there was only one thing for it…

With a thought and flexing his chakra, Zabuza formed two more clones. This was much harder them using hand-signs, but for a technique he'd used in nearly every fight his entire life, it was rather easy by now, as his chakra naturally knew what to do.

As the two clones touched down, they charged towards the genin. No matter how skilled, there was no way they could stop these.

Naruto watched the clones charge, and for a moment, was not sure what to do. Ever since becoming a ninja, he'd mostly fought Clow spirits, and they operated on a completely different set of rules.

Thankfully Keros saw this and intervened **"Naruto! What Card did we JUST capture!" **he said, bopping Naruto lightly on the head and whispering urgently.

Naruto's eyes widened. It was so obvious! _'Wave, do you feel like helping out?' _he asked in his head. Wave's response was an enthusiastic flood of words that was hard for Naruto to pierce together, so he just shrugged once he was sure he had the affirmative.

Flipping the switches, Naruto aimed his wand at the clone that had punched Sasuke. He was unprepared for the kick as Wave's invisible spirit form launched itself from the mouth of the wand, zooming towards precious water.

The Zabuza clone didn't know what hit it as Wave entered its body. One minute everything was normal, the next every bit of chakra was forced from his construct body, and the image of Zabuza vanished, leaving only a mass of floating water.

Everyone could only stare as the now semi-human shaped water bubble turned its 'head' to face the other clones, who looked at each other, unsure of this turnaround.

Wave lashed out, its arm/tentacle flying like a spear towards one of the Zabuza's. The clone reacted, and sliced the arm off while the other charged. However, Wave was able to dance and dodge around every blow, and those that she couldn't dodge merely passed through her watery body.

Of course, Sasuke wasn't just going to let the Dobe get all the credit for saving their sensei (Uchiha pride would not allow it) and Sakura didn't want to feel completely useless. So they began to help their teammate by peppering the the battlefield with fireballs and shuriken from the safe distance (which just so happened to be behind their blonde friend, and that was a total coincidence).

One of the clones dodged a fireball that came so close part of his body steamed, only to become constricted by Wave. Wave crushed his body in a matter of moments, absorbing his watery mass into her own. Now the size of a large bear, she formed a massive mallet and smashed the remaining clone like a bug.

Inside Naruto's head, he got to hear Wave keep up a constant commentary while she fought _**'Oh wow that was so awesome did you see me master Naruto diddja diddja diddja I was all like wham pop smash sploosh and he was all like no don't smash me but I did anyway cause did you see the size of that sword I mean really where did he even get that hey I feel funny I don't think I like chakra water I don't feel so good hey how is that one eyed guy breathing in a bubble of water that must be really-' **_You get the idea.

"Don't worry Wave. Just free Kakashi and you can take a break if you want" Naruto said keeping his eyes on Zabuza, who was looking at him with hate.

_**'Okie dokie lokie smokie pokie' **_Wave said cheerful as she shot towards Zabuza. The mist demon, knowing a lost cause when he saw one, sidestepped just as the bullet of water shot past him, landing in the lake he was standing on. And since this forced him to remove his hand from the Water Prison, the bubble collapsed, releasing Kakashi, who quickly took a ready stance.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Sakura! Hold back! I'll take it from here!" Kakashi said, giving them an eye smile. Keros thought he'd feel a lot better had he not already seen the scarecrow get captured so easily.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

She was close! So very very close! The fog shifted and a grin was clearly visible in her form as she moved across the ground, a strong chemical smell permeating the air.

The bushes rustled and Mist paused as a bunny rabbit ran out. She quickly moved her body out of its path to allow it to run freely. She was only in the business of punishing those who deserved it, not the innocent. Especially not an adorable fuzzy innocent.

Focus Mist! She could feel Clow's magic, and she could swear that she had felt Wave's aura not far from her! Don't worry sister! Help was on the way!

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Keros would admit, what followed was actually rather impressive. The two circled each other, trading blows tit for tat. And somehow, the silver haired weirdo must've been playing some kinda mind game with the bandage guy, because he was flipping' out!

In frustration Zabuza yelled "Stop it! It's nothing but a cheap trick! You're just copying me like-"

"A stupid monkey?" Kakashi finished, having apparently read the Demon's mind.

Keros blinked. That was a neat trick. He didn't know of any spell that let you read someone's mind!

The battle got rough when both of them went through a long string of seals, finishing at the same time. From the water rose twin dragons, which circled each other before exploding. It was cool and all, but Keros wondered why bother with a spe-jutsu that had so many hand gestures?

Zabuza didn't know why he was so angry, he just knew that looking at Sharigan Kakashi, staring into that famous eye, was making him feel weird. It was like he was being read mind, body and soul. But he would show that bastard! He'd wash him away once he finished his-

"Giant Waterfall Jutsu!"

What?! No! How had that monkey finished before him? Zabuza had no idea how it had happened, but somehow he'd been so distracted that ass had beaten him to the punch!

There was no way to dodge the blast. As the water swept him up, Zabuza wondered if he had been hit harder then he thought. There was no way the water was actually… talking to him right?

_**'Oh my gosh wow that was amazing you were all like bam woosh rawr and he was all like denied and then you were all like noooooo and then the water went weee and I was all like oh yeah that was awesome and hey you're face is turning blue you should really try breathing hey look a tree underwater how did that get there'**_

WAM!

At that point, Zabuza found it hard to concentrate on anything, as his body was slammed full force into a tree. Several bones cracked, and Zabuza was sure he had a concussion. From behind drenched hair, the once proud demon on the mist gazed up at Kakashi, wondering if this was how he was going to meet his maker. It made him wonder…

"How… Can-Can you see the future?" he asked shakily.

Kakashi gave him his best condescending eye-smile "Yes. And I have foreseen… your death."

**Schlink**

Before anyone could move, two hair thin projectiles struck Zabuza in the side of the neck. The assassin twitched, before his body fell with a thud.

Everyone else halted, staring in shock at the dead swordsman. Even Wave stopped moving, the result being that the water in the battlefield went unnaturally still. Kakashi could only stare dumbly at his unmoving opponent, his brain still processing what had just happened. He put it together a moment before-

"Well, I suppose some thanks are in order…" a voice called out to the group. In a gust of wind, a shinobi appeared, covered in blue and green robes, their face obscured by a distinctive mask. Kakashi's eyes widened as he recognized the symbols on the mask. He also noted that since the ninja had appeared, the temperature seemed to have dropped at least ten degrees.

The unnamed hunter kneeled over Zabuza's body "I apologize for ending your battle so abruptly, but I needed to put this traitor on ice as soon as possible." Satisfied, the mask turned to face the Leaf Ninja "I have been hunting Momochi for some time now, but he has always managed to elude me. Thankfully he didn't slip from Death's cold touch this time."

Kakashi was honestly surprised. Judging by the voice, this ninja (boy or girl was hard to tell) was only a little older then Naruto. To think that someone so young could be that strong… what a world.

The hunter hefted Zabuza onto his shoulders "Congratulations on defeating such a strong opponent. Your reputation is well earned." he turned to the genin, Sakura finding herself somewhat disturbed by the expressionless mask "I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your mission."

And just like that, the assassin vanished in a swirl of frost. Kakashi noted briefly that the spot where the Hunter-Nin had stood was frozen over. Weird.

But not the weirdest thing he'd seen today. It was time for some answers. "Naruto-"

**"Oh Crap…" **he heard the little toy thing say as it looked at the path they had come from. He was about to question the toy when he was again interrupted.

"Ew…" Sakura said, covering her mouth and nose "What's that smell?"

A moment later Kakashi knew exactly what she meant (sadly, his facial coverings meant he had a somewhat delayed sense of smell…). Once he had it though, it was fairly obvious. It was like chlorine, but about a hundred times stronger.

And as the group took notice of the smell, they watched as a veritable wall of vapor rolled towards them. Nothing could be seen beyond its swirling depths, and as it got nearer the smell grew stronger.

"Keros…" Naruto asked, his eyes swiveling to the toy as he clutched the staff a bit tighter "What exactly is that?"

Keros gave a shudder, knowing exactly who it was, and knowing that if she was as pissed as she looked, they were in trouble. He turned to his ward **"It's the Mist Card." **

_"I've finally got you…" _the strange chemical smell suddenly faded, as the fog congealed in the center of the group, taking the form of a tall shapely woman, who's eyes were locked on Naruto.

Her body was pale, much like swirling vapors that made up her body. Even though the breeze itself had stilled, her body still flickered like a candle, a sign Keros knew meant she was agitated.

_"No more running…" _she spoke again, her voice like tiny raindrops on a tin sheet. _"Prepare for your punishment!" _She raised her hand, palm facing Naruto, and the fog began to encircle him, a faint sizzling noise filling the air.

Sakura, in a surprisingly bold move, hurled two shuriken at the fog-woman. Mist barely moved her head as the blades entered, then past through, her. As they exited her body it was clear they were now heavily corroded, and looked like they would fall apart if touched. Sakura gulped. She wanted to help her teammate, really, but what was she supposed to? What could she do?

Keros cleared his throat, hovering between the irate Mist card and his charge. In a situation like this, diplomacy was the best course of action. Hopefully, they could settle Mist down without having to fight her. While he was sure Naruto could think of a way to subdue her (be it a Clow Card or just his words), there were civilians and non-magic users here. It was already bad enough they'd found out, there was no need to make a spectacle that might attract more attention or get anyone hurt.

**"Mist, I know this is a confusing time, but I promise I can explain!" **he got her cold eyes on him now, better talk fast. Even if she probably wouldn't/couldn't kill him, better not to take that chance. **"Clow has been gone for a long time now… and the Clow Cards are scattered throughout the world. I needed someone to help me gather them all, and this boy fits the bill to a T! He's everything Reed would have wanted in an apprentice, and he's done the best he can for your siblings so far. So please, just calm down…" **he trailed off, hoping he had convinced her not to melt Naruto into a blonde puddle.

_"This… boy?"_ Mist tilted her head, moving slightly closer to Naruto. To the boys credit, he didn't flinch away. Those words Keros had said meant a lot to him. She turned to Keros, raising a single smokey eyebrow _"Is that a joke?" _she asked incredulously "_Master Reed was a saint! This boy is… is…"_ She struggled for a moment to find the right word _"NOTHING! He is nothing compared to Master Reed!"_

She turned on Naruto, hate burning in her eyes as she advanced on him, the ground hissing with each footstep _"Master Reed was kind, generous, pure! HE was a SAINT! You are just some punk, who has done nothing to earn the power he's stumbled across!"_ Mist was in his face now, and he could smell the chlorine on her breath _"I don't know how you managed to enslave my sisters, or trick Keros, but I swear I will melt the flesh from your bones if you don't release them. Now!"_

Well, what could Naruto do? He cast a glance at Keros, to see if the plush toy had any advice. The doll could only shrug. Diplomatic relations had broken down, and now it seemed violence was the only answer.

Boo hoo.

With a push of a button Mist found herself struck in the face with a gale force wind which slammed her into a tree. The bark hissed as Mist's anger rose, but before she could retaliate, she had to duck as a leg drove itself into the tree, cracking it. It was Kakashi, who while not really understanding a lick of what the hell was going on, knew that this… spirit… wanted to kill his student, which he couldn't really allow.

He sent a punch to her jaw, but she leaned out of the way at the last second, before blasting him in the chest. The compressed mist bolt sent him flying back, the acidic substance eating at the fabric of his flak jacket. Thankfully Mist was somewhat out of practice it seemed, as it looked like both Kakashi and his stylish jacket would be fine.

Kakashi groaned as he sat up. He would have dodged that if he hadn't just been in a fight with a high ranking Missing Nin! Kami he was starting to hate this mission.

Mist didn't get more then a foot closer to Naruto before she was assaulted yet again. This time, instead of a hurricane to the face, or a foot at her throat, she was instead disemboweled.

"Have at the wench!" the duck-haired boy cried as he slashed at her with his sword repeatedly. Mist frowned; while some might have seen the attack as random, she could tell he was moving the blade in such a way as to keep her form in a vaporous, non-conjoined state. She tried upping the acidity of her form, but the sword wasn't affected in the slightest… and the way the boy was talking, it was almost like…

_'Sword?'_ she asked telepathically as the blade separated her head from her shoulders. _'Is that you?'_

_'Greetings sister!'_ the blade answered her in her mind, his voice as boisterous as she remembered.

As glad as she was to hear her brother's voice, Mist couldn't help but be somewhat put off by his behavior. She could tell that he was influencing the duck-haired kids movements; but the question was WHY?! _'What do you think you are doing?! I am trying to free our siblings if you haven't noticed! Why are you helping HIM!'_ she asked trying to flow around Sasuke towards her true target, only to get hit in the face by another blast of air, and forced to melt some of those knives thrown by the silver-haired dude.

She heard Sword chuckle _'Oh sister, thou hath made a most foolish mistake! Sir Naruto is not nearly as malicious as you portray him in your mind! Nay! He is a fellow of exemplary moral fiber!'_ the unbreakable blade said, quick to jump to his new master's defense.

_'Naruto? You're on a first name basis with this joker?'_ she asked incredulously. Said boy summersaulted over her and tried to whack her in the head with the Sealing Wand. The nerve! Using the Sealing Wand in such a barbaric manner! _'I cannot believe you have fallen for this monsters tricks!' _

She could tell Sword was frowning, despite his obvious lack of facial features _'Now Mist, really. That's no way to talk about someone you just met. You barely know the boy. Trust me, he's really quite charming… most of the time anyway. Master Reed would be proud.'_

Mist actually growled, and Sakura was forced to grab Tazuna and leap away as the Mist started to swirl with violent intensity.

_"Master Reed would not be pleased by a bumbling __**JESTER!"**_she roared, and Naruto, Sasuke, AND Kakashi suddenly dropped to their knees as the mist got into the their eyes, blinding them; while at the same time they coughed as it seeped into their lungs and throats.

Then, with an explosive splash, the water from the lake rose up and enveloped everyone present, Mist included. Naruto and co. were quickly deposited off to the side, while Mist was trapped within. While she writhed and bubbled, none of her escaped to the outside. Wave would not let her big sister make such a mistake.

_**'Oh my gosh Misty hi I've missed you get it missed like mist I made a funny and I really wanted to hug you when you first got here but you were all grrr and I was all like whaaaa and Keros was all like Hold It and you were all like OBJECTION and then you and Naruto started fighting and I heard you and Sword talking and he's right you know Naruto is super nice and he's funny and he doesn't even mind that I ramble sometimes which I worry that I may be doing now but that's cause I'm a little nervous because I love you like my sister because well you are my sister but I'm also worried because I really like Naruto to and you want to melt him like he was a witch or something.' **_

Mist blinked, her mind taking a moment to process Wave's convoluted stream of thought. Once she had though, she couldn't help but sigh _'I'm to late… he already got to you. Wave, I'm sorry but I promise I will free you!'_ she declared before struggling harder, more bubbles forming as the deadly gas struggled to escape its watery confines.

Wave actually sighed. Mist was always so stubborn, and the fog headed spirit often lost control of herself once she got rolling. It was time for Wave to use the one course of action she never thought she would have to rely on:

Logic!

Bum. Bum. Bum!

_**'Mist, you know how you said Naruto was just some idiot who stumbled across Master Reed's power which okay I guess is kinda true but if you think about it for a second you would realize that Clow Reed was a genius and if Naruto was just some idiot which he isn't really by the way that's really kinda mean for you to keep calling him that sorry gotta focus if Naruto was just some idiot there should be no way he could enslave all of us right?'**_ Wave asked hopefully.

Mist paused, taking that in. There was… some sense in what her sister was saying… But what if-

_**'Oh and if that doesn't work do you really think he could just trick us how does that work I don't even know I mean how can he be so stupid yet so smart at the same time and really tricking us into serving him I mean how would he fool everyone not just Keros but like Windy and Erase those two are some smart cookies so have I convinced you cause I'm getting really really tired Misty so would you just knock it off already!' **_

Mist sighed. It was true. If the boy couldn't actively bind the Clow, he would have had to resort to trickery. But as Wave said, her siblings and Master Keros were all to smart to fall for such tricks. That meant that she had almost killed a group of innocents for nothing!

As Wave released her, Mist fell to the ground, clutching her head in her hands. What had she done? She had fought to kill! She had imagined torturing this boy in such terrifying ways! SHE was the monster here! Oh sweet Clow what had gotten into her?!

She felt a hand on her chin, forcing her to look up. It was the boy, his blue eyes boring into her sulfury yellow ones. She was surprised to see not anger or pity, but understanding. But how?

"I think I understand" he said, helping her to her 'feet' "If I thought someone close to me was in trouble, I'd probably go a little crazy trying to get them back too." he chuckled scratching the back of his head "You know, my sensei, that's the guy with the weird eyes over there, has this saying: 'Those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their friends are worse then trash.' " Mist blinked, she rather liked that saying.

He stuck his hand out "So what do you say we put this behind us, and work together from now on?" he asked hopefully. Mist was surprised. As she was, she figured he could probably seal her without to much fuss, and he was still asking permission?

_"Alright, I'll admit I may have overreacted a little."_ she said, putting her hands up in surrender (and pointedly ignoring the stunned looks and rolled eyes at her statement). _"I suppose if everyone else is willing to vouch for you, I suppose I should side with the cooler heads."_

Keros sighed; typical Mist, never able to admit when she was wrong.

Mist grabbed Naruto's hand _"You've got a deal"_ she pulled him into a hug, and placed her lips by his ear, whispering _"But if I think for one moment you're less then what my siblings deserve, I will melt your insides into a fine broth."_ she said, before stepping back and giving him a proper hug and a pat on the head. She took another step back and giggled at Naruto's stunned look.

Naruto shook off the feeling of dread he had, and brought the wand down. An incantation later, and the Mist card was safely tucked into the wand, where he could only hope Mist could be controlled by her siblings. That girl had issues. He resealed Wave, and after conferring with Keros that no more Clow were in the vicinity waiting to ambush him, he finally smiled, glad he was in the clear.

*ehem* he heard his sensei pointedly clear his throat.

Oh. Right. Crap.

Turning, he saw his teacher and teammates (Sakura having returned once the sounds of fighting had died down) and even Tazuna all pointedly looking at him.

Kakashi stepped forward, arms crossed, looking just as serious as he had when Zabuza had appeared, and spoke only two words:

"Explain. Now."

**End Chapter 8**

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

**Windy, Fly, Rain, Float, Erase, Sleep, Sword, Wave, Mist**

**Uh oh! Looks like the cat is out of the bag for poor Naruto! How will he explain himself? How will his teammates react? What will Kakashi do now? All of these question will be answered next time... probably.  
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**When I originally outlined this chapter, I wanted to combine the Mist fight and the Zabuza fight into one giant three way. Sadly, I just couldn't find a way to make it work. I promise though, that this is the last major plot fight to not have a wild Clow Card join in. So when it's time for the Battle on the Bridge, look out.  
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**Mist was an odd duck to craft. I wanted her to be a good spirit, as all the others were, but I needed to make her a threat. So I decided that she would be super-over protective, and when she perceived Naruto as a threat, she became one herself. Once she was sure her siblings were safe, she reverted back to her normal personality (we see snippets of it leading up to the confrontation, but not a lot).  
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**Again, I apologize for this taking so long, and I will try to do better. That said, if you'd like to pass the time between updates reading some of my other work, check out my profile! I'm sure you'll find a story there you'll like! **If you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know by leaving a review. If you didn't sorry (but please no flames!), maybe next time. Either way, thanks for taking the time to read this! **  
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****Next Time: Naruto and Co. arrive at Tazuna's village, but something strange lurks in this dilapidated town. Naruto faces a foe immune to his usual methods. Training takes place. Secrets are made and revealed. The fallout of Keros and Naruto's actions. All of this and much much more!  
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**_Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor_**

_Chapter 9 - Ssshhh! People Are Training!  
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Until Next Time... _  
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	9. Ssshhh! People are Training!

**Wow, massive apologies to everyone who was following this story, I am so SO sorry it took this long to update. I know I left on a major cliffhanger, so I won't take up any more of your time, and just say, thanks for sticking with me... **

**Naruto: Card Captor**

**Chapter Nine: Ssshhh! People Are Training!**

_"What are you doing?" _

_"Please… you can't…." _

_"What were you thinking!" _

_"STOP! NO!" _

With a gasp, Kakashi woke up, breathing heavily. Blinking he took in his surroundings while trying to piece together the strange nightmare he'd just had. Sadly, like most dreams, it was fading quickly. Now where was he…

"Oh, you're awake sensei! Thank goodness!" hearing the voice of his female student, Kakashi turned to see a mixture of joy and concern in her eyes. "After that fight with Zabuza, you just collapsed! Tazuna was able to carry you to his house, but you've been out for a while. Are you feeling better?" she asked.

That's when it started to come back to him. He'd been fighting Zabzua… then… then he'd exposed his Sharingan. There was a battle, though the details seemed murky at best. He'd won, but a hunter nin had spirited Zabuza away. Then he'd collapsed due to chakra exhaustion.

That is what happened. His memories told him it was so. Still, despite knowing that this must have been the case, something felt… off. Like there should have been more to it, like he was missing something…

As he pondered what he might have missed, Sakura called her teammates to the room. Both looked relieved to see him alright (though Sasuke hid it well). Naruto looked like he hadn't slept much, which was strange, but something to ponder later.

Apparently they were in Tazuna's home. The old bridge builder had been kind enough to provide him with a room and a bed. After his lovely daughter (who's name Kakashi didn't catch) brought in tea, he listened to Sakura tell him how they thought he was going to die, and asking why he hadn't woken up sooner. Sasuke was there to throw in the occasional grunt, while Naruto… continued to sit silently.

It was only when Sakura mentioned the Hunter Nin (commenting on how creepy and cold he'd felt) that something clicked in Kakashi's brain.

The Hunter Nin… the way he'd shown up just before he'd finished Zabuza off… The weapon he'd used… the way he'd spirited the corpse off…

Oh crap…

His students looked at him as he groaned and flopped his head back on the pillow provided for him. He cast them a baleful look, before he proceeded to explain that, despite evidence to the contrary, Zabuza was still alive.

The general response?

"Ah shit!"

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Meanwhile, back at the bad guys base….

Zabuza lay in bed, covered in bandages. The fight with those… things (for not all of them could have been human) had left him in bad shape. Thankfully he'd been saved from death (albeit in an annoyingly painful fashion) by Haku.

Speaking of Haku, the fake hunter was busy doting on Zabuza, making sure his wounds were clean, that he had plenty of medicine, and that he was comfortable. And she did this all while chatting amiably despite the fact that Zabuza never responded.

"I'm so glad you're okay now Zabuza-sama! When I saw that Kakashi about to kill you, my heart stopped cold!" Haku finally settled in a chair beside her masters bed. "Just the thought of you…" she shivered "I don't want to think about it. It gives me chills." Haku reached over and grabbed her masters hand to comfort herself.

Normally Zabuza would have been opposed by this, but recently he wasn't sure how to act around Haku. Even as he kept himself from shuddering at Haku's touch (the child had grown so very cold these last few weeks) he reflected on all the changes that she had gone through. She emoted more, she started talking more, and her powers… the bloodline powers had never been so strong. Even without training Haku practically created a permanent chill in the air. He was starting to think she didn't even need hand-signs any more.

And there was no explanation for it! Just one day Haku had awoken to discover her powers exponentially stronger.

Zabuza tried not to think about it. Why question a good thing? Haku was his weapon, and if his weapon was stronger, all the better for him. There hadn't been any negative effects yet…well, okay there was one: The Puns. For whatever reason, Haku now loved puns, and it was beginning to get really annoying!

Zabuza was broken from his thoughts as the door was flung open. Oh, speaking of really annoying…

"Oh, so you're finally awake eh? I didn't think I was paying good money for you to lay around!" the voice that called out belong to none other then Gato, business tycoon, mob affiliate, and all around asshole. Seriously, this guy was involved in crimes that ranged from extortion to murder to kidnapping to puppy kicking.

"You've got some nerve coming back here Momochi" Gato growled, walking into the room flanked by a pair of expendable henchmen. "After what I paid you, Tazuna should be nothing but a distant memory. Instead, I hear he's walking around the village without so much as a paper cut! What the hell happened!" he shouted, spittle flying in his rage.

Zabuza frowned beneath his bandages "He wasn't alone, he was with-"

Gato cut him off "Yeah yeah, some jounin punk and a couple of brats." Gato stalked closer "Thats what's really pathetic. You couldn't take out even one of those snot nosed kids?! You, the so called Demon of the Mist?!"

Zabuza just turned away. Kakashi was not some punk, and those were not 'snot nosed kids'.

Gato's frustration peaked "How dare you turn away from me when I'm talking to you you lazy bastard!" He reached out to give the ninja's head a smack… only that wasn't what happened.

"Freeze. Now" Gato found his arm in a vice-like grip courtesy of Haku, who was giving him a look that could freeze the fires of hell. "You will **NOT** touch Zabuza-sama! You are not worthy!

"Oi, let go bitch, you're hurting me!" he shouted, his two goons moving closer. That only encouraged Haku to squeeze tighter, and everyone could actually feel the room's temperature dropping rapidly. Gato could actually see his panicked breath on the air!

Deciding that his employer had had enough of his student, Zabuza reluctantly decided to call her off "Haku, that's enough. He can't pay us if he's dead."

Haku frowned but let the tiny man go. Gato brushed the frost off his arm and backed away. "Keep your bitch on a tighter leash Zabuza." he muttered. The temperature started to drop again and he quickly made for the exit "And I want that bridge builder dead, do you hear me! Dead, or no paycheck!"

With that, the little man stomped away and slammed the door behind him. Haku went back to tending her masters side, and the room very slowly started to go back to its normal temperature (though personally Haku was finding she enjoyed the cold more and more each day). As she sat by his side, Haku couldn't help but think how easy it would have been to kill that bastard for treating her master so coldly. When this was all over, if her master would let her, she'd be the first one to put Gato on Ice…

Zabuza noted the quiet giggling his student had broken into, and once again found himself more and more concerned for her state of mind…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The next day saw Team Seven gathered in a clearing of trees. As was usual for them, they were waiting on their sensei. It was only because he was injured that they were willing to forgive him just this once.

Sakura was once again trying to chat up Sasuke, who was busy practicing sword routines. Naruto watched them, gently tapping the head of his staff in his hand.

Kero knew where the boys head was at, but couldn't think of anything to say. He had warned the boy that being the Card Captor was a great responsibility… but even he hadn't thought something like this would happen. The Clow girls were also feeling uneasy. Even Mist, who had known the boy the shortest time, felt a little bad. But the one who felt the worst was-

Naruto shook his head as his grip tightened. They had no idea. His teammates had no idea what he'd done to them. How was he supposed to stand here and act like nothing was wrong? How?!

_FLASHBACK!_

_Kakashi stared down at his student, taking in what had just happened, and what had just been said. After witnessing his student battle an unknown creature using what were most certainly NOT jutsu, he had demanded answers. Naruto, caught, had been forced to explain what had transpired with Mizuki (omitting the conversation about the Fox), the opening of the book of Clow, his meeting with Kero, and his subsequent hunt for the Clow Cards. _

_Kakashi rubbed his head, while behind him Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna looked stunned. Finally, Kakashi spoke "So you're telling me that you found a book filled with trapped spirits that could alter the fundamental forces of our world, then released them out into the world to go Kami knows where and do Kami knows what and you DIDN'T TELL ANYONE! What were you thinking?" _

_Naruto flinched back at the volume and tone. Kakashi had always been so calm, it was odd seeing him like this. He tried to explain "I couldn't tell anyone sensei! I couldn't risk what might happen if word of the Clow Cards existence got out!" _

_Kakashi frowned beneath his mask "Naruto, you've already admitted these spirits are powerful. From what little I've seen they're downright dangerous. Do you know what kind of danger you've put everyone in by not telling? There's no way of knowing what these spirits will do, and because of you theres been no one to keep them in check. Did you ever think there was a REASON they were sealed in the first place?" _

_Naruto had no answer for that. He knew what Kero had told him, but somehow he didn't think that would appease Kakashi-sensei. He knew in his heart that the Clow Cards were good though, and just needed someone to talk them down. _

_Sighing, Kakashi turned to the others. "We're heading back. Now." Ignoring the look of shock on their faces he continued "It was one thing when it was just a few ninjas, but factoring this in, I can no longer ignore that this mission is to dangerous. Tazuna" he turned to the protesting bridge builder "I know you have to get back, but things have changed. I promise you the mission will be done, but right now this mission is bigger then what we can handle. I'll report to Lord Hokage and see about getting you a more experienced team, and you can set up a way to pay us back later. If Gato is hiring ninjas of Zabuza's strength, it may be more then I can handle, and its certainly not something I want to put my team through." _

_Turning back to Naruto "As for you, you're going to explain yourself to the Hokage, and work this out. Personally, I'm very disappointed you would be this irresponsible." _

_Naruto looked up from his feet where his eyes had been locked "What do you think is going to happen sensei?" he asked softly. _

_Kakashi shrugged, not knowing "If I had to guess, I'd say they'll likely confiscate that staff and that book you were talking about. After that, its possibly that a team will be put together to hunt down the cards, but I honestly cant say." _

_Naruto went wide eyes "Ta-take the staff? But you can't its mine!" he held it close to him protectively. "Please… you can't!" _

_Kakashi leveled a glare at his student "Naruto, you TOOK the staff, the book, all of it, from the Forbidden Scroll, that doesn't make it yours, no matter what your flying friend has told you." _

_While Naruto stuttered and shouted protests, the staff was starting to grow warm. The Clow Spirits had heard everything, and they were not pleased with how this was going. They didn't want to be separated from Naruto, their new master. Many of them had grown fond of him and did not want to loose him. Being forced into the control of the government Naruto worked for was the sort of thing they were hoping to avoid, and the sort of thing Clow Reed had never wanted for his creations. _

_But one spirit was especially distraught. Erase, who considered herself closer to Naruto then any of the others was both furious and terrified. Furious at how this man was speaking to Naruto, and terrified at the very idea of being separated from him. She knew she had to do SOMETHING… and her desperation drove her to action. _

_The staff became so hot that Naruto could no longer ignore it and dropped it. Even as it fell the staff was glowing bright, the buttons on the back seeming to shift of their own accord. Then the staff hit the ground, and with a flash of light, Erase left from the staff to stand before Naruto. _

_Naruto blinked in surprise "What are you doing?" _

_Erase, as always, remained silent. She watched as the man called Kakashi tensed up, watched his eyes widen as she leveled her wand in his direction. _

_She briefly heard her master call out to her. Heard Kero yell something and felt her sisters frantic disjointed thoughts shouted at her in her mind. But for the moment she ignored it. This man wanted to remove them from Naruto's care. This she could not allow. _

_With a flash and a bang the whole area was consumed in nothingness as Erases power wiped the whole area away. Kakashi was unprepared, and could not summon a jutsu in time. The last thing his sharingan eye saw before he was consumed by light was Erase's furious glare. _

_With a wave of her wand, Erase brought Naruto and Kero back. With another, she focused her power onto the four people still under her power. She would not destroy them, for that was not her way, and she knew Master Naruto would already be unhappy. Instead she had something else in mind…" _

_FLASHBACK END!_

In the end, Erase had been able to modify their memories of what had happened, editing out anything to do with magic or the Clow. The minds had filled in the empty spots, and ultimately it had been accepted. Erase had left Kakashi unconscious to allow for the memories to better stick (and because she really didn't like the man). Tazuna had carried the man back, everyone believing that he had passed out after a fight with Zabuza.

Kero had been frustrated that Erase had acted without thinking, but ultimately agreed it was for the best. Kakashi was going to turn them in, and that couldn't happen. While the man's intentions might have been good, it would interfere to much with the mission.

Naruto, of course, was taking it far worse. Not only had he blown the big secret, but it turns out that he had nearly lost his new friends. Of course, while he knew in his gut he had to take responsibility for the Clow, Kakashi's words and accusations still hurt. It hurt even worse when Erase had forced them all to forget. Was this what it came to? To keep one set of friends he would have to lie to the new ones? Granted he hadn't known his team as long as the spirits, but still… Maybe Kakashi had been right in one sense. When this was over, maybe he should talk to the Old Man?

Naruto and co. snapped to attention when their sensei hobbled into the clearing. He gave each of them an eye smile, before clearing his throat. "Alright kids. Today, I'm going to teach you something you'll find invaluable for your shinobi skills." That got everyone's attention. Kakashi, was a veteran ninja, and sure to know a lot of awesome techniques. So what was he going to…?

"I'm going to teach you how to climb trees!" he said, beaming at them from beneath his mask.

Team Seven could not face-plant any harder.

Sakura picked herself up "Um… Kakashi-sensei?" she started, as though speaking to someone a bit slow "We… um… we sorta already know how to climb trees." Maybe her teachers injuries had been more extensive then she thought.

Kakashi just chuckled "Without using your hands?" he asked. Now that statement got some curious looks. Climbing without their hands? What was he on about?

'Great' Sasuke thought 'He's snapped.' **'Yeah, he's even crazier then we are!' **responded the multitude in his head. Sasuke decided it was better to just stop thinking for a while, lest his sanity unravel further.

Having gotten his fill of confused stares, Kakashi turned and hobbled his way towards the tree nearest him. Then, once he was close, he proceeded to place his foot on the tree, then hefted himself up and proceeded to walk up in complete defiance of gravity.

Sasuke and Sakura were suitably impressed. As for Naruto and the girls…

'Oh… yeah… that's really something.' Windy commented politely.

Rain snickered in his mind 'Yeah, cool trick. Real ninja worthy.'

What could you expect? They were magical spirits with powers over the very fundamental forces of nature. This barely qualified as a parlor trick to them. And having used most of their powers, Naruto couldn't find himself that impressed either. Hell, he could FLY if he wanted to.

Still, it wasn't like he could say anything, so Naruto forced himself to listen, trying to keep his mind off heavy deception weighing on his mind…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Given that she was the only one to master the exercise right off the bat, Sakura was assigned to watch over Tazuna during the day while he worked on the bridge. Many of the workers were glad to have Tazuna back, and the atmosphere while they worked was generally very jolly. Tazuna was totally in his element. While he may not understand flashy ninja tricks, engineering was something he had long ago mastered. With skill earned from years of hard labor, they managed to get quite a bit of work done by the day's end.

After calling it quits for the day, the pair walked back through the village, Tazuna giving her the scenic tour. The village was certainly down on its luck, though Tazuna assured her that in its heyday it was a sight to behold ("And will be again" he had assured her).

As they passed the center of town, Sakura noted something interesting. Sitting in the square on a raised platform was a beautiful statue. The statue depicted a woman sitting cross-legged. The statue's eyes were closed, and Sakura detected a ghost of a smile on the statue's lips. One hand rested in her lap, while the other was raised to her lips in a 'shush' gesture.

Overall, it was a truly beautiful statue. She asked Tazuna who had made it, but to her surprise, he just seemed confused about it. According to him, he'd never seen it before, and that it hadn't been there when he left for the Leaf Village.

Tazuna turned to Koki the grocer. "Hey, whats that thing? Who put that up?"

Koki looked surprise, then realization lit up his face "Oh yes, you were gone when it first appeared. Isn't she beautiful?" he asked.

Sakura raised an eyebrow "Appeared?"

Koki just nodded "Yes, no one in the village has taken any credit for making it, or putting there. And I doubt Gato or his thugs would bother beautifying the community." Koki's smile dimmed at the tyrant's name but he pressed onward "Anyway, it showed up the day after you left. Just showed up in the middle of the town." his eyes took on a distant look as he recalled the memory "And ever since it's shown up, things have been… better? I mean, yeah Gato's still around, but it feels like the village got a bit safer. Gato's men haven't shown up in the market since it got here." he explained, Tazuan and Sakura going wide eyed as he told his tale.

Tazuna interrupted "How is that possible? I figured Gato would order someone to take the statue… "

Koki smiled "They tried to take it. I watched ten men try and haul it away, but they couldn't move it an inch. It was like it was bolted to the ground!" He took a moment to appreciate his captive auidence's stunned faces "As for crimes, well just the other day one of Gato's men came around for our 'protection insurance'. couldn't pay, and he started yelling at her. Saying if she knew what was good for her, she'd better get his money or he'd burn her store down with her in it.

"That's terrible!" Sakura gasped, wondering how anyone could be so cruel.

Koki nodded "I don't doubt he would have done it too. But then, he just… I really don't know how to describe it. One moment he was there, screaming at the top of his lungs, the next he was gone."

Tazuna raised an eyebrow "He just vanished?"

"One of the men said he saw that same thug in the ocean, sputtering like a drowning cat! And this was around the same time!" Koki laughed. "Of course, none of Gato's men believed him. They all thought he was just drunk. There aren't any ninja around here… well, until now. Still, some of the more superstitious have been avoiding this place. It's not much, but at least the market is safer now then it was before!"

"And you think this is all because of a statue?" Sakura asked.

"Maybe the statue is blessed, maybe it's a sign that some higher power is watching out for us. Maybe it's all coincidence; but I don't really believe that. This village was going straight to hell, but then that statue showed up, and life has gotten a little bit more bearable." Koki took a deep breath, nodded, and went back to work.

Tazuna and Sakura left soon afterwards, both with eyes on the statue as they made their way back to the house, a newfound appreciation for the strange work of art.

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

Dinner at Tazuna's house that night was a peaceful affair for the most part. Tazuna's daughter was a wonderful cook, and even though his grandson Inari was quite, the old man was more then boisterous enough to fill in the silence.

He and Sakura had just finished telling them about the statue in town (it's description making Keros raise an eyebrow. Sounded like a certain Clow Spirit he knew…) and Sakura asked Kakashi if such blessings were real.

Kakashi nodded, and told them of several priests and exorcists he had encountered. They were similar to ninja in that they wielded incredible powers, but they often didn't work for hire like ninja, instead traveling and using their gifts to follow whatever religious teachings they held. It was entirely possible that a monk or priest had placed the blessed statue in town and left; not wanting any form of payment or thanks.

It was as dinner was winding down that Sakura finally noticed a picture frame hanging on the wall. Pointing it out, she asked Tazuna how the man in the picture was. As soon as the words left her lips, the good mood seemed to flow right out of their hosts. Inari's face seemed to darken, and his mother turned away, a lost look in her eyes.

Tazuna simply sighed, placing a sake bottle on the table. "That my dear, is the legendary hero of Wave Country…" he began, before telling them the tale of Kaiza, a traveling fishermen who had come to Wave Country and had slowly changed all their lives for the better. He was a brave man, a man of principals who brought joy wherever he went. He saved the village from a ravaging flood, and even stood up to the tyrant Gato. He wouldn't bow down to threats or bullying, and he encouraged the others to do the same.

Sadly, Gato didn't take kindly to this rebellion, and before the entire village, had Kaiza brutally murdered. It was this act that had broken the town's spirit for so long.

The room was quiet for a long time, the ninjas quietly morning the hero they had never met.

With the Clow, things were a bit less tranquil…

_"That man was a fool."_ Mist said simply, getting shocked looks from the others.

Windy gaped at her younger sister's words _"How… how can you say that? After all he did for the village…" _

Mist shook her head _"This family, Tazuna, Inari, Tsunami, they all loved him and needed him more then any of the other villagers. He was family to them. And instead of protecting them, he got himself killed."_

Sword growled _"Did you not here the story girl?! He was standing up for what he believed in! He was doing what he thought was best for the whole village!" _

_"The whole village wasn't as important as his FAMILY! If he really cared about these people as much as they thought, he would have kept his mouth shut and his head down. If he'd done that, he'd still be here." _

_"He was trying to move the villagers to action!" _

_"Well it didn't work did it? All it did was break them when he died. Now Tazuna's bridge is the best hope this village has!"_

Windy couldn't believe what she was hearing _"Are you actually saying these people should just surrender themselves to Gato's tyranny forever?" _

Mist frowned "No, I'm suggesting that they not throw their lives away unnecessarily. Kaiza could have done so much more, and now all that good will never be done."

If Sword had arms he'd cross them _"Well lass, if you've got a better idea for what Kaiza should have done, I'd love to hear it…" _

Naruto looked at Tazuna finally and said "Kaiza… sounds like a good man."

The old bridge builder nodded "The best."

Naruto did his best to muster up a smile "Don't you worry old man, we're gonna help you finish that bridge, and your dream of a free Wave will come true!"

Tazuna smiled "Thank you, boy."

"You're all a bunch of idiots." A new voice called out. Everyone looked at Inari, who was now glaring at the ninja with fire in his eyes. "There's no way you can possibly beat Gato and his men. Why even bother!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow "Because we're ninja! And that's what we do! We'll kick this guys but from here to Wind Country and back again and-"

"SHUT UP!" Inari shouted, slamming his hands on the table "You don't know anything! You're just a bunch of idiot outsiders. Who are you to come in here and act all tough! You don't know what we've been through, what it's like to loose what we have! You, all of you, don't know a thing about suffering!"

**SLAM!**

Everyone jumped as Naruto's hand crashed down on the table, sending plates and cups jumping. Naruto was breathing heavily, his eyes shadowed by his long hair. Finally, he unclenched his fist and stood up. "I'm going out. I've got to keep training. I need to be as strong as possible. I need to be strong…because I actually want things to change. I can't just sit around like a crybaby sobbing on the time because things didn't go my way." and with that he turned and made his way back to the impromptu training grounds sensei had set up.

Before Sakura could call out to him, Sasuke stood up too. "I'm going to." He turned to Tazuna and Tsunami "Thank you for the meal" as he left, his eyes passed over Inari, and they were so cold you couldn't help but shiver.

Inari shook himself out of his stupor and immediately ran off in the opposite direction, slamming the door behind him. Tsunami made to follow, but Kakashi held up a hand. "I think maybe it'd be better if I talked to him, clear all this up…" the woman looked hesitant, but nodded her ascent.

Sakura watched as her her sensei got up to follow Inari. Naruto and Sasuke were big boys, they could cool off by themselves, but Inari was just a kid. An obnoxious kid, but given what she'd heard in the last half hour, she was willing to sympathize.

Excusing herself and walking up the stairs she thought about her two teammates and the effect Inari's words had had on them. It was clear they had cut deep. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Inari's words were so very very wrong.

Sasuke… He was the last of his family line. She had just been a little girl when the Uchiha clan was massacred, but even civilian families knew. Thinking back on it, what must that have done to Sasuke psychologically, to have his whole world destroyed in a single night. Everyone treated Sasuke like he was the greatest thing in the world, but how many of them really knew him? She and the other girls chased after Sasuke because he was cool, aloof, and awesome. But what did they actually know about him? Even as his teammate, Sakura couldn't claim to know him that well. It was highly likely he was carrying the pain of his loss to this day.

And Naruto… hell now that she thought about it, she knew less about him then she did about Sasuke. She knew he was an orphan, and she didn't think he had any friends (at least none she had noticed). Come to think of it, the few times she had seen him around the village the people weren't exactly acting friendly. She had always assumed Naruto had done something, but now that she was actually giving it some thought, she had to wonder what was so bad that he would be treated like that nearly every time she saw him. Was it like that all the time for him? If so, why?

Sasuke, Naruto… both knew more about suffering then Inari had thought. It was possible that Kakashi did too, but he wasn't forthcoming about himself (Sakura made it a point to write down a reminder to lean more about her comrades in the future). But neither Sasuke nor Naruto had let sadness consume them. If anything, it had galvanized them into action. Naruto often proclaimed he was going to be Hokage, and she knew that Sasuke planned to make the Uchiha clan great again. Both were training nuts and their dedication showed in the strength they had.

But as for her… she didn't know suffering, not like them. Her family was very much alive and happy. She hadn't wanted for anything in years. Yes, when she was small she was picked on, but she had made friends with Ino. And even though that friendship had ended, she'd built up confidence time to make other friends. And it wasn't like she and Ino weren't on speaking terms. They could be down right civil as long as the conversation didn't turn towards Sasuke. Overall her life had been downright pleasant. Obviously she wasn't suggesting that it was her teammates suffering that made them strong, but she did think it played a strong part in motivating them.

Sakura signed, before straightening her back and flipping open a notebook. She was the weakest member of the team, no doubt about it. She may have better control, but she had less chakra to work with. She was smart, yes, but only academically not in any strategic sense of the word. She could build traps… but those required time to set up, and even then they could be better.

Sakura frowned down at her list of skills. She needed to find something that she could use to build on and prove, at least to herself, that she was worthy of this team and being called a ninja. Looking over her list, Sakura bit her lip as her mind puzzled over what to do. High intellect and near perfect control… hmm… if she combined that with her rather… vivid imagination… yes, that could work!

When she saw Kakashi-sensei again, she was definitely going to have to ask him what he knew about Genjutsu…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

The next morning….

Haku walked through the morning mist, taking in the beauty of the forest, her kimono fluttering softly in the morning air. She had come here to find more herbs and plants that could be used to speed the recovery of her ailing master. He was nearly recovered, but she wanted him to be at his full strength before he went off into combat again.

He was quite stubborn though, insisting he was fine, that he could go back to combat now if he felt like it. Haku gave a frustrated huff, sometimes she wished she could make him see how worried for him she was. That she could get him to take it easy. That she could make him…

_"Chill out…?" _

_"Freeze…?" _

_"Cool his jets…?" _

_"Take a chill pill…?"_

Relax. She shook her head as she felt a twin set of disappointed signs in the back of her mind. That was something else she needed to be concerned with; these voices that seemed to whisper from the back of her mind. She hadn't told Zabuza, because she didn't want him to reject her… she couldn't bare it if he suddenly thought she was insane. She wasn't! She didn't FEEL insane at any rate. Perhaps the voices were just brought on by stress due to her lifestyle… though that didn't explain the sudden and drastic increase in her power…

Her inner monologue came to an abrupt halt as she walked into a clearing devoid of mist. There, laying nestled in the roots of a large tree, was a boy. But not just any boy: The same boy that had wielded such strange powers against her master. He was unconscious, curled up with his staff, clutching it like a comforting toy.

A part of her considered grabbing the weapon and taking off, but looking at the eyes of the foxheaded top drove that from her mind as her body gave an involuntary shudder (definitely not from the cold, she was never cold anymore). Another part of her wanted to kill him, both to avenge the damage done to her master, and to prevent this boy from being a threat in the future. But even as her hand reached out for him throat, Haku knew she could not do it. She simply didn't have the heart to kill anyone, especially not a sleeping boy.

Still, something about this boy unsettled her. She could feel something deep in her soul cringing just looking at him. The part of her that she had come to associate with her powers made her feel like the best option was to flee…

Not understanding this but willing to trust her instincts, she turned to leave. The forest was a big place, and she could easily collect the herbs she needed elsewhere, far away from strange magical boys.

Thus, when Naruto awoke a few moments later, he would find himself alone in the clearing. Well, as alone as one could be with a magical plush toy and a bunch of powerful spirits with direct assess to your brain.

Once Naruto had stretched and brushed all the grass off his clothes, he started poking Kero. The plush toy had said something last night about how the statue might actually be a Clow Spirit in disguise and he wanted more info.

Once the lazy plush was finally up, they started to form their plan of attack…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

That night…

It was dark by the time Naruto reached the edge of the village square. All the shops were closed, and no one walked the streets. The strange phenomenon surrounding the statue meant even Gato's men weren't here at this hour.

Naruto didn't move, for once acting as a traditional Shinobi would. He stood in the shadows and started at his target. The Silent sat motionless, eyes closed in peaceful meditation, one hand in it's lap, the other raised to it's lips in the easily recognizable 'shush' motion. Naruto just stood… watching…. waiting…

Keros arched an eyebrow **"What the heck are you waiting for?" **he asked. The furball wanted to get this done quick so he could go to bed. He'd stuffed himself on the food Naruto had given him, and he got cranky when he missed his sleep.

Naruto fidgeted, his calm facade broken. He looked at Keros "I don't know, it's just… I've gotten used to them coming to me. Usually to cause me bodily harm. And… it's just sitting there! It has to know I'm here, why isn't it coming at me?" Naruto eyed the statue, as though expecting it to suddenly lunge at him.

Inside the staff, some of the cards giggled at their new master's antics. Rain though, wasn't having it _"Oh suck it up you big baby! Get your ass moving!" _

Naruto jumped at the shout in his head before grumbling "Fine, sheesh, you don't have to shout like Sakura…"

_"What was that!" _

"Nothing!" he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut and just jog the rest of the way. Soon he was standing directly in front of the mystical figure, and it had yet to make a move. Naruto blinked, gripped the wand in both hands and raised it up… huh, still nothing. Mentally shrugging, he figured he'd put it off long enough:

"I am the Card Cap-"

But the moment he started speaking, the statue made it's move. One eye cracked open and an eerie "Shush" echoed around them.

Naruto blinked… only to find he was back where he started. "Um… what just happened?" he looked down at Keros.

The little guardian rubbed his chin **"I told you Silent's powers are sound based. If I had to guess, I'd say she's set up a parameter of silence, where any noise gets you booted out. At least this proves we're dealing with a Clow and not an ordinary statue." **

"That's a strangely situational ability" Naruto grumbled. "So, can I seal her without using the chant?"

Keros just shrugged **"Worth a shot. Just keep what you want to happen in mind when you use the wand."**

And so once again Naruto made his way up to the statue. He raised it high above his head, spoke the proper words in his mind, then brought the wand down like a hammer…

Only, at the last second, for Silent to lash out and knock the wand aside with her free hand. With her shushing hand she reached out and flicked Naruto on the nose.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, but once he had he was treated to the ethereal shush, and found himself booted out of Silent's sphere of influence. "Oh come on!" he he shouted, only to wince and look around. The last thing he needed was to be caught messing with the town's sacred statue.

**"This might be harder then I thought" **Keros whispered. Silent had always been an odd one, and it was hard to figure out where her head was at. It was clear though, that she was not looking to be sealed up. Or she was pranking him and Naruto. Again, odd girl.

Naruto though, was wracking his brain. These trials with the Clow had taught him that not every problem had an easy solution.

Okay, so the town viewed the statue as holy, because it protected them from Gato's men. But why had Silent set up shop here in the first place. If she wanted quiet, she could have gone deep into the forest where she wouldn't be disturbed. But she hadn't. She'd CHOSEN to be with the people.

"That's it!" Naruto grinned as the answer came to him. He nearly jumped forward right then, but stopped. Right, no noise. He sat down, taking a scroll out of his back pocket, much to the confusion of Keros and the girls (and Sword, he was a bit disappointed there wasn't going to be a lot of action).

Taking the blank scroll, and a pen, Naruto quickly penned a message to the strange (and somewhat annoying) spirit. Keros read over his shoulder as he wrote, slapping his forehead when he realized what Naruto was going to do, and feeling rather foolish he hadn't thought of it first.

Naruto walked calmly towards Silent once his note was done, and placed it in her lap, then stepped back. Slowly, Silent opened her eyes, and looked down at the scroll in her lap. Tilting her head, she looked at Naruto then back down at the scroll.

The note read: "I realize you are probably doing this because you care about the villagers, and are only trying to protect them. I respect that. Me and my team are here to do that to. The old man we're staying with, Tazuna, is building a bridge he believes, and I agree, will save this place." Silent nodded along, having heard the whispers of such a bridge for a while since she'd been here. She continued "Hopefully, once his bridge is built, Gato won't be able to push them around anymore. Then, you won't have to spend all your time here." Technically true. "Once that happens, maybe you can come home with me and the other Clow Cards?" it would be nice to see her sisters again, even if they did chatter far to much.

Silent had to admit she was proud of the boy. While his first few attempts had been obvious and straightforward, he'd proven quickly that he could think outside the box and handle himself. SHE wasn't kidding when she sent Silent here saying she'd find a decent master. Then again, She was rarely wrong about most matters.

Silent had been giving Naruto a long appraising look, and it was starting to make him feel uncomfortable, especially because he knew he couldn't say anything about it. Finally, she gave him a small smile, and nodded. They had a deal.

Naruto gave a slight bow and turned to leave. He had a date with a bed for the first time in a few days, and he was going to keep it.

Movement behind him caught his attention. Turning he saw Silent getting off her pedestal. She stretched, and Naruto blushed and looked away so as not to get an eyeful of her bust (something that the predominately female Clow Cards noted and appreciated). Why was she getting up though? She tossed Naruto his note back. Opening it, he could see that the writing had changed:

"As a sign of good faith, why don't you seal me now, then just continue to allow me to come here each night? I get to maintain watch over the village, and you can make sure I don't run out on you." Naruto looked up to disavow the idea that he though she'd run off, but the look on her face showed that she was teasing him. Hmph, sarcasm didn't really translate when in writing.

Still, if that was what she wanted, he raised his wand one more time…

_-Naruto; Card Captor-_

**Windy, Fly, Rain, Float, Erase, Sleep, Sword, Wave, Mist, Silent**

**It has been far to long, and for that I apologize. **

**For those wondering how Naruto was gonna get out of that pickle last chapter, now you have your answers. Erase acted with the best of intentions, but Naruto's certainly not sure how to take this. I considered having more of the chapter focus on Naruto resolving things with her and his feelings towards essentially lying to all of teammates (even more then usual) but I felt that it would be unnatural to have the problem solved so soon after it came up. **

**I did like the scene with Sakura, and it was a spontaneous decision. I figured we all know how the Kakashi/Inari conversation goes, so instead I'd use it to develop Sakura a bit more. I wanted her to work out for her own her thoughts on her teammates and where she fits in, and what she can do to be better. She's not all the way there, but she's taken some big steps.**

**Next time, the battle on the bridge! Things come to ahead as the Bridge Arc nears it's conclusion. Will the battle go any differently now that the Clow Cards are in play? Will Sasuke avoid getting knocked out? Will Sakura actually prove useful? Will Naruto still have his epic Kyubi-induced freakout? Only time will tell! **

_**Next Time On Naruto Uzumaki: Card Captor: **_

_Chapter 10 - Battle on the-Man it is Freezing Out Here!_

Until Next Time…


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